Justice
by Kovukono
Summary: Fujo finds a lioness that is running scared from a king for her actions, and finds himself exploring just how far he'll go to ensure her safety.
1. The Lioness

To understand this story, you may want to read Morals first, but it's not necessarily needed. You should be able to pick it up and read it. Now the legalities. Taraju/Akasare, Fujo, Tumai, Majadi, Edahi, Shani, Nadhari, Ufo, Fisadi, Uchungu, Ufukara, Taabu, Huzuni, Weusi, Sibu, Recna, the Askari, Umo, Kecha, Muta, Taraja, Pofu, Mvushi, and Chuma are my characters, and are not to be used without my permission. Sicwele and Dingane are Roger Byrum/spottedhyena's characters, and are used with his permission. Simba, Nala, Kovu, Kiara, Vitani, and Zazu are copyrighted to Disney.

Also, as a warning, some content may not be suitable for younger readers.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Justice

The Lioness

"It's cruel, for him to have been reunited with us, only to be taken away so soon. He will be remembered, not only as a killer, but as the just lion he came to be," concluded Kovu. Fujo looked away from Taraju's body in the center of the den. He heard Tumai sobbing beside him. He felt tears dripping quietly down his face. It wasn't right. Taraju had changed, he didn't have to die. He shouldn't have died. All of the other lionesses had their heads bowed in respect, though many of them—most of them—shed no tears. It was natural. They had hardly known him except as a cub, and he hadn't stayed any longer than two nights when he came back. But Tumai, and Vitani, and Nala and Kovu and Kiara. It hit them especially hard.

_And me_, Fujo realized. He missed Taraju. Badly. He looked up at the body again. There he was, his throat brutally torn out of the midst of his proud, black mane and his tan coloring. It had been such a strange combination, not only for him, but for Fujo as well. It had made them unique, the only lions of their kind. And he had just given himself up like that.

Fujo's gaze wandered across the faces of the lionesses in the den, all of them bowed in respect for the fallen prince, king of the Outlands. Fujo let out a sigh. He deserved better then this. He looked across the faces, Majadi, Vitani, Edaha, Shani, Ufo, Nala, Taraju, Kovu, Kiara—Taraju? Fujo snapped his head back. He couldn't believe it. There was Taraju, sitting calmly next to Kovu in the space that the pride gave to the king and queen. He looked back down at Taraju's body, then back up. Taraju was looking around the den. His gaze alighted on Fujo, and he smiled his weird little half-smile that he had picked up. Fujo poked Tumai next to him, not taking his gaze off Taraju.

"What?" asked Tumai sadly.

"Look," whispered Fujo.

Tumai looked around, then asked Fujo, "What?"

"Don't you—" he stopped speaking at the sight of Taraju shaking his head. Fujo let out a small sigh. "Nothing." He watched Taraju continue looking at the den. He gave Fujo one last sad smile, then faded away. Fujo dropped his gaze back down to Taraju's body. He gave another deep sigh of regret. He really was gone.

oOo

". . . and they just won't stop complaining about it, sire. They demand that you see them, or—" Kovu heard raised voices coming from the den, and cut off the speaker. He headed for the den.

"I had nothing to do with it!"

"Look, I didn't say it was your fault," said a second voice in a tone of trying explanation. "I said I was going to blame you."

"If you tell her anything like that—" said the first voice.

"You know it would be funny," said a third voice.

"Not to me!" said the first voice.

"Is there a problem?" Kovu asked. Tumai, Vitani, and Fujo turned hurriedly to see Kovu.

"Uh, no. No problem," said Fujo, casting a look at the lionesses. "So, how's the kingdom? Any little details that we need to worry about?"

Kovu smiled. It wasn't the same as it had been with Taraju. But at least he had shown them how it could improve. "Actually, he came for a visit."

"Who?" asked Tumai, Vitani, and Fujo simultaneously. A cheetah walked out from behind Fujo.

"I'm glad to see things haven't changed much," said the cheetah.

"Who wants us dead now, Nadhari?" groaned Fujo.

"I bring bad news one time, and you assume it's bad every time? I'm hurt," said Nadhari, though his face showed quite the opposite.

"Well, it kind of did leave an impres—"

"Nadhari just came by to say hello again, and to report on the kingdom," interrupted Kovu. "It's not always 'save the Pridelands this,' 'uprising that.' You should know better, Fujo. In fact, it's usually pretty dull."

"I still don't know why you have Zazu and him looking over the kingdom. Zazu doesn't even know about this."

"As I have said to the king," said Nadhari, "Zazu is getting older, and he needs to fall back on other means. I am merely trying to serve the kingdom."

"And don't get me wrong," said Fujo. "You do a great job. You're just a bit . . . unorthodox?"

"For your information, _sire_," bristled Nadhari, "the cheetahs have served the lions for countless years, without—"

"Fujo didn't mean to upset you, Nadhari," said Tumai. "He's just not that . . . sensitive."

"How was I—" Fujo was cut off as Tumai stuck her paw over his snout.

"Thank you Nadhari," said Kovu.

"Just the elephants at lunch tomorrow, sire. That is all," said Nadhari. He turned to leave. "And . . . I am deeply sorry to hear of your loss. He was a good cub." He left the den.

Fujo pushed Tumai's paw angrily from his face. "You didn't have to do that," he snarled at her. He turned angrily and headed out of the back of the den.

"Just let him go," Fujo heard Vitani say. "He's got to deal with it in his own way."

"I have to . . ." Fujo heard Kovu's voice drift off. Fujo angrily climbed the back of Pride Rock. Nadhari had to bring that up again. After they had just lost him days ago. Fujo slumped to the ground in the midst of some trees. _He shouldn't have died_. _He didn't need to die_.

"Fujo." Fujo whirled around to see Kovu behind him.

"What is it, Dad?" Fujo asked irritably.

"I need to ask you to do something. You won't like it. But it needs to be done."

"Just say it already!" Fujo was surprised at his tone of voice. He shouldn't be taking it out on others like this.

"I need you to go ask the Outlanders if they want to come here."

"Excuse me?"

"Just offer them a home. And if they don't accept that, at least offer them a chance to be part of the Pridelands."

"They won't like it. They'll say we're using them like he did. Filth," he added in an undertone.

"Fujo."

"You don't understand!" Fujo shouted, turning around. "I needed him! SHE needed him! And that little rat of a lion just killed him like it was nothing!"

"I wish that it hadn't happened this way just as much as you do," said Kovu quietly. "But he had to do it. He didn't have a choi—"

"Don't give me that!"

"There are things that you have to do as king. One of them is take responsibility. Taraju knew this. He did what was needed. It's something you still need to learn." Outraged and speechless, Fujo turned away from his father. "You don't have to ask them today. Just not after tomorrow." Fujo heard his father walk away. He fell to the ground again, and watched the sun disappear and the stars come out. He stayed there a long time.

oOo

Fujo walked into the Outlander's lands at daybreak. It wasn't the old Outlands, Taraju had changed that. There was grass, and even a few small trees. Things were actually somewhat green in places. And Taraju would only be remembered for what he had to do to get it here. Fujo walked resolutely up to the tallest mound. Kovu had said they housed termites. Fujo knew they still contained pests now. A few lionesses were outside the mound, lying down. They looked up when they saw Fujo coming. One went inside the den. A few seconds later a lion emerged. Fujo recalled his name was "_Mvushi_. _Savior_." Taraju again.

"What do you want, lowlife?" Mvushi growled.

Fujo swallowed down the hate-filled comment he had thought of. "Actually, I'm a prince," he said, trying not to sound too condescending. It was difficult. Especially when he remembered how Mvushi had killed Taraju with no second thought.

"Oh, a prince. How important. I'll inform all of Africa. So, what do you want, _sire?_" he somehow managed to use the last word even more mockingly than the words that came before it.

"You don't even know who I am and you—"

"You were with that murderer. That's enough."

Fujo willed himself to not leap at Mvushi. "I've come to offer you a place in the Pridelands." He had to force the words out.

"And why would we want to leave to come live in the den of filth like your friend?"

"My brother was a changed lion. He willingly came to you."

"And why would we want to live in the den of filth like your brother?" Mvushi repeated.

"We can offer you a better life. You won't have to scrounge for food. You'll be free to as much food as you need. You won't need to live in constant fear of the other lions in the Outlands. We can help you." It took all of his self-control for Fujo to cater to Mvushi.

"We don't need your help." Mvushi turned to go back into the mound.

"Don't be a fool, Mvushi," said one of the lionesses. She turned to Fujo. "We are extremely grateful for—"

"What are you doing?" demanded Mvushi.

The lioness rounded on Mvushi. "You do not remember it, but we were once _free_. We did not have to poach for food; we owned the lands and the food! If your father hadn't been such a fool—" Mvushi snarled at her. The lioness swiped him across the face. Fujo noticed four old scars where the lioness had hit him. "If you won't respect your elders, at least respect your betters," she growled. She turned back to Fujo. "We accept."

Fujo was stunned. He hadn't expected it to be this way. Just a few words of "no" and he'd be on his way. "Alright," he said. "Just—just come with me, I suppose."

"Thank you, your majesty." The lioness bowed. She looked impatiently up at Mvushi. Mvushi lowered his head a fraction of an inch.

"Look, you really don't need to—" began Fujo. Mvushi immediately snapped his head up. "Yeah." Mvushi glared at Fujo. Fujo gave a sigh. He felt it was not going to end well between them. "Just get everyone up and we'll go."

"This is everyone, sire," said the lioness sadly. "This is all that we have left." Fujo looked over the few lionesses spread across the ground. There wasn't even a cub. Then he spotted one hanging behind his mother's leg, his fur mussed and his body skeletal, even more so than all of the other lionesses. Fujo was shocked at the level they were living at. _They deserved to hate Taraju if he kept them like this_, Fujo thought. _No, it wasn't Taraju who did this to them_. _Taraju wasn't here till we brought him back_. The lioness noticed him staring at the cub. "He's the only one left. All his sisters died."

Fujo looked at the cub's face. Strangely, it didn't have the fear that the lionesses did, just curiosity as he stared at Fujo. The thing that really unnerved him was the cub's eyes. They had what looked like no irises at all, just a black pupil and yellow-white surrounding it.

"Well then, uh, let's go." He turned and began to head towards the Pridelands, hearing the lionesses follow him. It was odd, to be leading like this. He heard the murmurings of the lionesses behind him, of how it was just like home. When they finally reached Pride Rock, the sun had really risen. Fujo stopped at the base and turned to look at the lionesses. Mvushi was following in the rear, sullenly.

"It's so big," one of the lionesses said.

"It always does get you the first time," said Kovu, appearing at the top of the slope leading up to the den. "I am Kovu, king of the Pridelands. Welcome. You're just in time for breakfast."

"What's breakfast, Mom?" asked the cub, dangling from the mouth of a lioness. The lioness set him down.

"This means you can have more than one meal now, Pofu."

"Really?" the cub asked incredulously.

"That's right. No more limits." Fujo felt his heart go out to them. He looked up to see Kovu smiling at Pofu.

"Come on into the den. The hunters should be back soon," he said. The lionesses walked up the slope into the den, the cub in his mother's mouth again. Fujo watched Mvushi walk past him, snarling. Fujo watched him walk past Kovu, and then into the den. Kovu looked hard at Fujo and nodded, then headed into the den.

Mvushi died that night.

oOo

The Outlanders had been immediately accepted by the pride. In fact, the pride went out of their way to make them feel welcome. It wasn't difficult. The Outlanders seemed to be grateful for even the smallest things. Fujo couldn't imagine what they had been through. Sometimes he even stopped referring to them as the Outlanders in his head. _It probably would have been different if Mvushi hadn't just up and died like that_, Fujo reflected.

But it had happened, and Fujo grew to love the Outlanders, and just over the course of days. Especially the little cub, Pofu. He seemed pretty happy, almost all the time. He had playmates for the first time. He had just one little drawback. He was blind. Fujo had asked Kovu why, and he said that Taraju had told him it ran in the cub's family. There was nothing he could do about it, except try to learn to overcome it. Truth be told, Fujo thought he was doing a pretty good job of it.

It probably explained his eyes. On closer inspection, Fujo saw they weren't actually yellow-white irises, just irises that were so close to it that you couldn't really notice it from far away if you didn't know they were there. It was more of a light gray-yellow discoloration right around the pupil, only slightly darker than the "whites" of the cub's eyes. Only the standard black markings showed that it was actually an iris and not the "white" of the cub's eye.

Fujo reflected on all of this as he took his morning walk through the Pridelands. Kovu had asked him to do it to get acquainted with the kingdom. Fujo just did it to relax. He just enjoyed the still quiet of the morning, before all of the animals really got up. It was so peaceful. He found his way to his favorite and sat down, taking in the gorgeous landscape around him. It was so peaceful. So was he. Just happy.

"Fujo."

Fujo whirled around. There was a lion sitting behind him. A dead lion. One that he knew was dead because he watched him die. Fujo blinked. He was obviously dreaming.

"Hey," said Taraju.

Fujo stared at him. "I could have sworn that meat was okay last night."

"You're not dreaming. I'm really here."

"Uh-huh. Look, you're dead."

"And? Thus, so, therefore?"

"And . . . you're dead."

"I've decided to talk to you."

"Why?"

"Well, the family up there has a few . . . look, I can't really say. But they sent me."

"Funny, I thought there would be a lot more lights and thunder and all that."

"Yeah, I don't really like that kind of thing. It's not me. I just don't want to do it."

"I'd like it."

"Fortunately, you're not the one who decides this."

"Yeah, pity. . . . So, you're alive . . . there. So, how is it?"

"Good, actually. They took it a lot better than I expected. Nobody really hates me up there. They understood. Mostly. Dingane didn't take it too well, but he sort of came around . . . yeah."

"So, where's your star?"

Taraju laughed. "You actually think I rate enough to be a star? Come on, Fujo. I wasn't a king, and I definitely didn't do anything decent enough to be up there. Not everyone gets to be a star. But hey, keep it up and you may." Taraju grimaced. "Shouldn't have said that."

"Said what?"

"Nothing. I just need to talk to you."

"Hey, wait, I want to hear about all the cool stuff you can do."

"I'm not allowed."

"You're not allowed what?"

"We can't really come back. We're not supposed to. Unless the big ones think it's necessary. Then usually they handle it. Either Granddad or Great-Granddad would be here. You have no idea what I had to pull to even be able to do this."

"So, no cool stuff?"

"I would hate to imagine the consequences if I did."

"Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease—"

"Yeah, they were right. He does need something," Taraju muttered.

"Huh? What are you—"

"Nothing. Look, if I show you something, will you shut up and just _listen?_"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure," Fujo paused for a second, staring at Taraju. Taraju just stared back. "Pleasepleasepleaseplea—"

"Alright! Just—shut up!" Fujo immediately fell silent. Taraju sighed. He waved his paw casually in the air. Lightning fell out of the sunny sky right next to Fujo. He jumped away, wincing with the sound of the thunder. "There, I smite ye. Happy?"

"Did it have to be so loud?"

"If I hadn't done anything, you would be deaf. Would that make you happier?"

"Um, loud is fine."

Taraju just looked at him, then sighed. "Walk with me." He walked away. After a moment's hesitation, Fujo followed him. He noticed Taraju made no noise as he moved. He looked down to see Taraju's paws moving through, actually through the grass. It was unnerving. After a few minutes, Taraju finally spoke again. "Fujo, you aren't exactly kingly."

"And you were?"

"More than you. We're worried. So we just want you to get out of here for a few days, just to experience things."

"And you think that leaving will make me more 'kingly.'"

"Divine foresight. You gotta love it. I really wish I could do this kind of stuff for the Outlands. It would have been so much easier."

"Uh, yeah. Well, stepping off your memories, where exactly do you want me to go?"

"Just . . . out. Whichever way you feel like going. Except back."

"They'll miss me."

Taraju looked at Fujo. "I doubt it. Not with your personality."

"Yeah, you're Taraju."

"Besides, we've talked to Dad. Dreams have a lot less restrictions on them. Still, I'm glad Granddad had that job and not me."

"Convenient how this all kind of falls into place, isn't it?"

"Now that you mention it, yes."

"So, you're just going to dump me here, tell me not to come back home for a few days, and leave? And I'll never see you again?"

"You saw me at my funeral, didn't you? By the way, that was a lovely eulogy." Fujo gave a snort. "What?"

"A dead guy is thanking me for his eulogy. This has got to be a first." Fujo stared back up at Taraju. "Do you really have to go?"

"I don't make the rules. I just follow them. I've broken enough of them when I was alive."

"Do you ever let her see you?"

Taraju suddenly stiffened. He closed his eyes and looked away from Fujo. "No. I can't. I'll just have to wait."

"Couldn't you just—"

"You're still the same stupid, insensitive jerk that was here when I left, aren't you?" Taraju asked angrily. He glared at Fujo, then suddenly disappeared.

"Hey! Come back here!" Fujo yelled to the sky. "I didn't mean that!"

"Fujo, who are you talking to?" Fujo turned to see Tumai walking towards him. Then Taraju appeared behind her.

"Uh . . . no one." He saw Taraju stare at Tumai, then hang his head. "Uh, just turn around, Tumai." She did, staring straight at Taraju. "See anything . . . unusual?"

"What are you talking about, Fujo?" asked Tumai. Taraju looked up again, shook his head, and faded away.

"Nothing. Listen, I'll be back late. Dad should know where I'll be. So, I'll see you." Fujo turned and began to walk away.

"You're just up and leaving?" asked Tumai.

"Yeah," Fujo called back.

"Where are you going?" she yelled back.

"I don't know!" he yelled back at her.

"Fujo!" she shouted. Fujo just kept walking. He had no idea where he was going at all.

oOo

Fujo walked through the dry grass. He knew he was no longer in the Pridelands, but other than that he didn't know where he was. He was tired, he was hungry, but the thing that really upset him was the heat. He had tried to explain this to Tumai once after he had been complaining all day.

"Just find the biggest carcass you can, and then skin it and wrap the fur around your neck, and let's see how _you_ feel at the end of the day." She still didn't really believe him.

"Fujo," came Taraju's voice. Fujo didn't even bother looking.

"What now?" Fujo groaned.

"Hungry?"

Fujo looked up and saw Taraju sitting a short distance ahead of him. "_Yes!_" Taraju just smiled. It was infuriating. "Are you just here to torment me?"

"Well, it is a little fun."

Fujo took in a deep breath. "Just what do you want?"

"Just to say two things. Just enjoy dinner, and play nice."

"What dinner?" Taraju just smiled again and faded away. In his place in the distance Fujo could see a carcass lying on the ground. Fujo stared at it for a second.

"Food." He began to run towards it. "Oh, food, glorious, wonderful food! Oh food oh food oh _food!_" He stopped at the carcass. He leaned his head closer to take a bite. Then he felt something ram into his side, knocking him to the ground on his back.

"Don't you _dare_ take my kill." Fujo looked up to see a very angry lioness staring at him.

"Um, look, do I know you?" The lioness just snarled at him. "Maybe we could share it?"

"I don't think so. Now leave."

"Look, wouldn't it just be—" The lioness lost patience and pounced on top of Fujo and delivered a sharp blow to his head. "Augh! Hey!" The lioness just backpawed him. He looked up at her angry face and hit her across it. She staggered off of him.

"Oh . . . oh, you _hit_ me."

"_You_ hit _me!_" protested Fujo.

"You know, we could just share it."

"Really?" asked Fujo. She hit him across the face again in response. Then, surprisingly her face softened and she cradled Fujo's face in one paw.

"Ooh. Oh, that must have _hurt_."

Fujo stared up at her in bewilderment. "You're a nutcase." The lioness glared at him, then drew back her paw and whipped him across the head as hard as she could. Fujo slipped into unconsciousness.

oOo

Fujo woke up to see the lioness sitting with her back to him. She was hunched over the carcass, slowly swallowing mouthfuls of meat. He couldn't have been out long; the lioness had only eaten about half of it. Fujo got up, trying to make the least amount of noise possible. He knew it was bad manners to steal someone's kill, but it was probably just as bad to walk up to someone you don't even know and start beating them. Tit for tat.

He slowly walked behind the lioness, and then whipped his foreleg around her throat and pulled back hard. She fell backwards onto her back, and Fujo put his paw to her throat. She coughed on the bit of meat she had in her mouth, then glared up at Fujo.

"I liked you better unconscious."

"Yeah, I've met a lot of animals that way. Look, just give me some food, and we won't have to go through this."

"I was going to leave you some. I'm not heartless."

"Yeah, uh-huh." He paused, staring down at her impudent face. "Look, I'll let you up if—and only if—you promise not to kill me."

"Fine." Fujo removed his paw, and immediately received a paw in the face. "You didn't saw anything about hurting you," she said as she walked toward the carcass. Fujo watched her.

"Complete and absolute nutcase," he muttered. He walked over to the side of the carcass opposite her and began to eat. He looked her over as he ate. She had fur missing where scars marked her body, seemingly distributed at random. Her fur was mussed, and it her body was gaunt. It wasn't quite so bad that it looked skeletal like the Outlanders, but it was apparent that she very rarely got to eat a good meal. After a few minutes the lioness got up and began to walk away.

"Hey, where are you going? You don't need to leave," said Fujo.

The lioness stopped, hung her head. "It'd be better if you weren't found with me."

"Come on, why? Look, there's still plenty of food here, and from the looks of it, you need it more than me. Look, just trust me."

"I can't afford to trust you."

"Just come back and you can tell it to me over the meal." The lioness turned her head to look at Fujo, a look of sadness and longing on her face. Fujo had no idea what was going on with her head to make her bounce from one emotion to another like that, and he wasn't sure he wanted to. The lioness stared at him a little longer, then hung her head again.

"I shouldn't."

"Just tell me what's going on." The lioness looked back at Fujo, then gave a sigh and walked back towards him. She sat down opposite him, hung her head again. Fujo thought she was either feeling really guilty or her posture was terrible.

"He'll probably kill you if they find you with me."

Fujo was shocked by the statement. "Why would anyone want to kill you?"

The lioness gave a small snort. "What's the worst crime you can think of?"

"Uh, let's see . . . The worst I've heard, the guy kills the lion who took him in in order to get a throne for his friend, then lets the daughter of the lion he killed starve to death, then leaves his other friend to die, and then slaughters an entire pride including the first friend, but leaves some alive to live on the brink of starvation. . . . Yeah, I think that's everything. Oh, wait, he ate some of the pride he killed, too." The lioness just stared at him. "Oh, and he didn't really like wildebeest. That right there was just unforgivable."

"Wow," said the lioness, ignoring the last comment. "Kind of makes what I've done seem insignificant."

"And that would be . . ."

"Regicide."

Fujo nodded his head wisely. After a few moments he realized this wasn't getting him anywhere. "Ok, what's regicide?"

She hung her head again. "I killed my father, the king."

"You did _what?!_"

"I killed the king."

"Why would you want to kill anyone? Your father, of all animals!"

She looked up at Fujo, her face terrified. "He was evil. He was really, really scary evil. You have no idea . . ." Her voice trailed off.

"What did you do to him?" She hung her head again. "You know, you're going to get a crick in your neck if you keep bobbing it up and down like that."

The lioness glared at Fujo. "I can see why you're alone."

"Hey, we're talking about your story, not mine."

The lioness sighed. "I don't know where to start."

"Here's an idea: start at the beginning. And when you get to the end, stop." More glaring. "Or you can go about it however you want."

The lioness stared at the ground for some time. It was so long that Fujo was about to ask her if she was asleep. Finally she spoke. "He was destroying the pride. He had been doing it all my life."

"Who?"

"My father. He had always done this. He beat us. Horribly. Not just me and my mother, but all of my sisters, too. If any lioness showed any sign of spirit she had it beaten out of her, immediately. He had us wait on him like we were nothing but servants, like dirt. He did whatever he felt like to whoever he felt doing it to, no matter what age. I saw him kill old lionesses while beating them. That was if we were 'bad.' If we were good, we got a big reward. Reward: he leaves you alone. How would you like that, the biggest reward you could receive being that he left you alone? And there was nothing we could do. If we rose up, we would be left without a king. Until he had a son. There was talk of overthrowing him then, and raising the cub right, but no one had the courage to do it. So he grew up, learning to treat us like his father did. He's almost worse. No, he _is_ worse. He's grown up with it while his father learned it. Cruelty is second nature to him. It was awful. I—I couldn't do anything." A tear slid down her cheek. She took a shuddering breath and continued.

"My—my mother and I were walking one day along the cliff. We have a beautiful home. Or at least, I had a beautiful home. There was a cliff, and it had the most beautiful view of the savannah. When the sun hit it just right . . . that landscape just seemed to sing." She paused a moment, caught up in memory. "My mother and I would go there whenever we could and just stare at it. Then one day, he came. He was angry. I don't know why. He just came straight for my mother, and began to beat her, even worse than he usually did. He didn't even give a reason, he just walked up to her and started. There may not have even been a reason. I yelled at him to stop, I begged for him to stop, I said that he was going to kill her, but he wouldn't. He just kept going. So I did the only thing I could think of. I rammed him as hard as I could. He went over the cliff. We heard him yell, and then . . . silence.

"I heard Mother gasp and turned around to see his son there, staring at us. He asked me if I knew what I'd just done. I didn't know what to say. He walked over to my mother, she tried to get up, but she was too badly hurt. And he pushed her off. And I watched her fall, screaming and clawing at the air on the way down. I looked away, but that still couldn't stop me from hearing that awful—thud. I looked back up at him. And he laughed. He told me that this was only going to be a taste of the punishment I got. He told me of all the horrible things he would do to me, and ended saying that maybe, if I was lucky, he would kill me. I ran. I couldn't think of anything else to do. And he shouted after me that I would come crawling back home. I just ran.

"But he was right about one thing. I miss my mother. And . . . I want to go home." By this time she was sobbing uncontrollably. Fujo didn't know what to do. He stepped around the carcass and gently laid a foreleg around her. She buried her face in his chest, her tears soaking his chest. Then suddenly she gasped, and looked up at Fujo, her eyes terrified. "You won't tell him, will you? Please tell me you won't tell him where I am. Please," she begged.

"Whoa, just . . . just relax." She just let out a fresh sob. "Look, I don't even know who you're talking about. I've never met him. I'm not even from around here."

"You won't tell him?" she demanded.

"No, I won't tell him." She buried her face in Fujo's chest again. It took a good hour to calm her down. It didn't help that Fujo kept trying to bring up what happened to find out more about it. Every time he tried she just seemed to plunge further into despair, saying "He's coming for me. He's _coming_ for me." He eventually got her calmed down again. After that she was quiet for some time. Finally she spoke again.

"It's getting dark. You're welcome to leave if you want. Frankly, I'd rather you stay here. I've been going on almost no sleep. I'd welcome someone else to take watch."

"My, what a change this has wrought in us. Just taking command, aren't we?" remarked Fujo.

The lioness turned on Fujo angrily. "Listen, I can handle myself just fine."

"And if _he_ comes?" Fujo saw a flicker of fear in her eyes. Then the lioness shook her head as if trying to clear it.

"No, he doesn't know where I am . . . I'm perfectly fine," she muttered. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure you're alright? 'Cause, I'm beginning to wonder if I was right about you being a nut—"

"I am perfectly fine!" she yelled. Fujo backed down.

"Okay, alright, just kidding."

The lioness sighed. "Sorry. I've just been so on edge since it happened."

"And it happened . . .?" Fujo asked, praying that it wouldn't make her burst into tears again.

"Two days ago." She gave another sigh, then looked up at Fujo, her face set into determination. "Listen, are you going to stay, or leave. I doesn't matter to me, but just say it, right now."

"Or?"

"Or I'll beat you down like I did the last time."

"Hey, that was _lucky_. I just wasn't expecting it."

"Yeah, uh-huh. Look, what are you going to do?"

"I'll stay. Only because I don't want you thinking that I'm leaving to sell you out."

"Fine. Then get to sleep. I'll wake you up when I trust you."

"And I'm supposed to trust you how? I mean, you did already try to knock me out and leave me here."

"You chose to stay. You can still leave now."

Fujo just took a few steps away from the carcass and lied down. As he closed his eyes he wondered what Taraju could have been thinking.

oOo

Fujo felt someone poking his face. "Just a little longer, Mom. I'll be up in a second." The poking turned into a smack. Fujo immediately sat up. "Ow!"

"At least you have a mother." Fujo stared at the lioness. "You're on until morning. And may Aiheu help you if you fall asleep." The lioness slumped down to the ground, not even bothering to move once she hit it.

_Man, she must be tired_, Fujo thought. He yawned and sat up, looking around at the landscape. Night covered everything, and there only a crescent moon in the sky, barely visible. The stars seemed to blanket the entire sky. Fujo kept looking around, becoming steadily more bored with each passing second. Slowly the boredom changed into sleepiness. _I will not fall asleep_. Fujo got up and began to walk around. Anything to stay awake. He remembered seeing a water hole in one direction. He began to walk towards it. _Hey, she said I needed to keep watch_. _She didn't say where_.

He arrived at it and took a few drinks, then plunged his head into the chilly water. He immediately straightened up, completely awake. He began to walk back towards the lioness. He could see the sky beginning to turn pink at the edge. _I haven't been up that long_. _She must have stayed up most of the night_, Fujo realized. He stiffened as he heard a twig snap. He looked to see a dark figure move on the top of a small hill, then run off it. He immediately began to run toward the lioness. He began to nudge her incessantly.

"Huh?" she asked. "Whazzit?"

"I think there's someone here," Fujo whispered. The lioness opened her eyes wide, and she began to tremble.

"No," she whispered.

"Step away from the lioness." Fujo turned to see a female hyena walking towards him.

"Over my dead body."

"Look, I don't have time for this. Now get out of the way, or I'll be stepping over your lifeless corpse." Fujo roared at the hyena. "Ooh, scary. Now get out of the way!" The hyena launched itself at Fujo. The two tumbled to the ground, the hyena coming out on top of Fujo. The hyena raised a paw to strike Fujo.

"Stop!" Fujo and the hyena turned to see the lioness on her feet, looking at the brawling pair.

"You heard her! Get off!" Fujo said.

"I have been trying to take care of her since she was a cub! There is no way that I'm going to just let some lion just come up to her and—"

"It isn't like that, Fisadi. He's trying to help me," the lioness explained.

"You're going to need a lot more help than him. I don't know how, but he knows where you are."

The lioness's eyes opened wide with fear. "No," she breathed.

Fujo pushed Fisadi off his stomach. "Look, I'll help you."

"You don't know what he'll do to me . . . I'm not safe, not anywhere. He'll—he'll—" Tears began to leak down her face. She turned and ran.

"Hey, come back here," Fisadi yelled. "No," she said quietly when the lioness didn't turn back.

"What?" asked Fujo.

"She's running right for him." Fujo stared at the hyena. "What? You expect me to go after her? Are you crazy? He's just as bad as she's made him out to be!" Fujo ran after the lioness. "It's suicide!"

Fujo kept running. He couldn't find her. It was like she had just disappeared. He heard a scream and began to run in that direction. He found the lioness backed up against a small cliff by two other lionesses.

"Look, just come back. You know it'll be better if you go willingly," one of the lionesses tried to reason with her.

"You don't know what he'll do to me!" the lioness screamed.

Suddenly a lion pounced from the top of the cliff to the ground. He turned to face the lioness, and she let out a gasp.

"You pathetic fool. You should have known better to run. You know you can't hide from me," the lion said.

"No, don't, please, don't," the lioness begged, trying to retreat further backwards, but being stopped by the cliff. The lion walked closer to her.

"You don't know how I've missed you." The lion held out a paw towards the lionesses shuddering face. She tried to pull back. The lion cradled the lioness's face in his paw, causing tears to stream down her face. He drew back his paw.

"NO!" Fujo shouted. He began to run towards the group. The lion turned to look at Fujo, while the two lionesses moved toward him menacingly. Fujo stopped short of them, glaring angrily at the lion.

"Stay out of this, kid," the lion said. "Someone might get hurt. Maybe even worse than they're going to be right now." He turned back to the lioness. "She's broken the law, she's going to receive her punishment." He whipped his paw across the lioness's pace, knocking her to the ground. She let out a cry of pain. "And that's only an itch compared to what you'll get. Now get up. We're going home." Fujo watched as the lioness got up and slowly bent her head down to touch her lips to the lion's paws. Then she began to walk away.

"You can't be serious!" said Fujo. "You can't just go back to him!"

"I don't have a choice," the lioness sobbed. Fujo looked down at the lionesses stopping him, and saw their faces etched with pity.

"Don't do it!"

"I have to." Tears streamed down her face. "I have to."

"She knows her place, kid," said the lion. He began to follow the sobbing lioness. "And if you follow us, I'll gladly put you in yours."

"You filth!" Fujo yelled as he watched the group walk away.

"You're too kind, kid," the lion called back. Fujo watched them walk away. They almost seemed to just fade away. He sat down and hung his head.

"Fujo." He looked up to see Taraju sitting in front of him. Fujo marched up to his face angrily.

"Why did you want me to see this? _Why?!_"

"You didn't understand. No matter what—" He broke off as a lion appeared next to him.

"I'll take it from here."

"Alright, Granddad."

"Fujo," said Simba, "you can't interfere with justice like that. She committed her crime, she has to serve her punishment."

"Punishment? She's going to be beaten and the gods know what else! And this is just punishment?"

"She has to serve the punishment for her crime, Fujo."

"Like I had to serve mine," said Taraju.

"No," said Fujo. He got up and began to walk away from Simba and Taraju. "No. This is different. She didn't have a choice. She was a victim."

"She murdered someone," said Simba. "She had to pay the price. There is no higher law than justice."

"That's what we've tried to teach you," said Taraju.

Fujo turned angrily back to Taraju and Simba. "You guys must have some really screwed up values up there, 'cause that is not justice! That was murder, and you know it! If this was justice, she would _not_ have had to go through this. _Yes_, Taraju needed to pay for what he did, but not her! She did nothing except the right thing. And you're excusing that—scum just on the basis that it's the law!"

"That's where you're wrong, Fujo—" began Simba.

"No! _You're_ wrong! I am going to live my life according to my values, not your high and mighty 'laws rule all' principle, and there's not one thing you are going to do to change that!" He turned angrily, and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" asked Taraju.

"Home! I'm through with you!" He continued to walk defiantly away. Simba and Taraju watched him go.

"See? I told you he already knew this," said Taraju. "He didn't even need to go through all this."

"We had to be sure," said Simba.

"There's nothing we could have done about it even if he didn't know what justice was. You're the one always preaching 'Do not interfere.'"

They sat in silence as they watched Fujo continue his journey home.

"He'll come back for her," said Taraju. "Even if he has to break Dad to let him do it."

"How do you know?"

"Because that's Fujo."


	2. The Persuasion

The Persuasion

Fujo trudged back home, thinking of the lioness. He would go back and set things right. There was no way he would just ignore it. He'd go back, even if he had to do it alone. Those fools in the sky knew nothing if they didn't realize this was murder, plain and simple. He walked slowly up the steps to Pride Rock. Then he suddenly stopped as he heard an earthshaking yell from the den.

"HE DID WHAT?!"

The yell immediately cleared all thoughts of the lioness from Fujo's head momentarily, and replaced them the thought of _Oh, crap_. Tumai jumped backwards out of the den. She saw Fujo on the steps and grinned at him.

"We told her." There was laughter in her voice.

"Oh, no. You didn't."

"Yeah, we did."

"You didn't."

"Uh-huh."

"You did _not_."

"Hey, he's back," Tumai called into the den.

"Tell him he had better get his backside in here right now, or so help me I'll—" Kiara's voice left the sentence hanging, apparently unable to think of anything bad enough. Fujo walked into the den, aware of Tumai's smirk following him the entire way. He saw Kovu sitting in a corner of the den, his face plainly showing shock and not seeming to take in anything. Vitani was sitting next to Kiara and wearing a smile identical to Tumai's. Kiara, unlike any of the others, actually was calm.

"Oh, Fujo, I'm so glad you're home," Kiara said. "Where have you _been?_"

"Uh, well, actually, um . . ." He didn't know how to describe it. "It's a long story. I can explain later."

Apparently Kiara's self-restraint broke. "You slept with your AUNT?!"

"Whoa, hey, where did this come from?" Then Fujo noticed Tumai's snicker, and it hit him. _I didn't say it was your fault_. _I said I was going to blame you_.

"You sleep with your aunt, and then you just clear off for a few days? And you think you can just come back to this? She's your _aunt!_ And she's pregnant!"

"Um . . . I know?" Fujo said weakly.

"You knew?!"

"Okay, look, whatever you think, I didn't do it. I swear. You can ask her," Fujo said as he nodded at Vitani. He hated when his mother got this way.

"She was the one who told us!" Fujo stared at Vitani. She just smiled at him. He turned back to look at Tumai, who was still smiling that stupid smile. He turned back to his mother as he heard her speak again in a low, steadily rising tone. "Your father wouldn't lie about such a thing, your brother is gone, and that only leaves you. We haven't even given you permission yet! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" she yelled as she backed him up into the den wall, cringing. Fujo looked over her shoulder.

"Uh, Aunt 'Tani, I think this has gone far enough, don't you?"

"DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO WRIGGLE OUT OF THIS!" thundered Kiara.

"Alright Kiara, that's enough," sad Vitani, barely stifling laughter.

"That is not enough! He just leaves right after he—"

"He didn't do it."

"He—he didn't?"

"No, we just wanted to see what you did to him. I mean, come on, it was a little funny."

"But if . . . Well, who is it?" She backed down from Fujo, who let out a sigh of relief.

"No one. I'm not pregnant."

"But Fujo said he knew."

"We just tried to get him to do this before he left. But he wouldn't. I think you know why."

"Yeah, Fujo, why did you leave?" asked Tumai.

"I, uh, wanted to get out?" Tumai stared at him pointedly. "Man, you have no idea how hungry I am," said Fujo, trying to change the topic. "You wouldn't happen to have any stuff left over from breakfast, would you?"

"Of course we do, honey," said Kiara, all smiles now. "I'll just go get it."

"Actually, I think it would be a good idea if all the girls went and got it." Kovu finally looked up at Fujo.

"Um . . . right," said Vitani. She began to walk out, followed by Kiara and a reluctant Tumai. Kovu watched them go, then looked at Fujo.

"What is it?"

"Dad, I met a lioness out there."

"And you got her pregnant."

"Just get off the whole pregnant thing, okay? She mentions that once, and you just—never mind. What was I saying?"

"A lioness."

"Right. Look, Dad, we have to go get her."

"Get her?"

"She's going to be dead or worse if we don't do something."

"I'm going to need more of an explanation than that."

"Okay. Okay. Um . . ." Fujo tried to think of where to start. "I'm just walking, and I see this carcass, right? Well, she comes up and says it's hers, and then tries to beat me up, then decides to share it with me, and then says how she just killed her king, and—"

"She did _what_?"

"Yeah, that's what I said. But she did it for a good reason," Fujo added hurriedly. "Look, that king was beating all of the lionesses, and starving them, and treating them like dirt. And other stuff she didn't really go into, but I'm sure you get the idea. And they couldn't do anything. Look, we have to go back and get her, or else she's going to die."

"I thought you said she was with you."

"She was, but then he got her and he took her back."

"Who's he?"

"The king."

"You said the king was dead."

"Okay, the new king. The dead guy's son. And he isn't going to stop torturing her, and we have got to _do_ something."

Kovu appeared to think it over for a minute. "Okay, you want me to go up to this guy, demand that he stop this, and if he says no, knock him off his throne?"

"Thank you."

"No."

"Huh?"

"Look, Fujo, you can't just go around killing animals for what they do."

"Taraju."

"Taraju gave himself up. That's different."

"Dad, you didn't _see_ her. She's in just as bad shape as those Outlanders. And she's going to get a lot worse if we don't do something _now_." Fujo sighed. "Look, we can just take some of the pride there. It shouldn't be that hard to just—"

"I WILL NOT START ANOTHER WAR!" erupted Kovu. Fujo took a step back, alarmed by the outburst. "I am _not_ going to place this pride in that kind of danger again. You have no idea what it was like for me that last time."

"If I remember correctly, the last time I got my stomach bitten into. I think I have an idea."

"You really are a stupid, insensitive jerk, you know that?"

"Thank you so much, Dad. I love you, too."

"You don't _remember!_ The entire pride was decimated! And I had to hold it together! Me, when I wasn't even sure I could hold myself together! I _wanted_ more of that violence, I _craved_ it. And I couldn't have it. So what do I do? I retreat to my own little world, shunning you, shunning Kiara. You at least remember that! How would you like it to be like that again, with no speaking at all, just me sitting on the edge of that rock, day after day, almost never seeing you? Do you really want it to be like that again?"

"It _won't_ be like that. You're fine now, there's no reason why you can't be fine then. But she needs our help _now_. And if you aren't going to go, I am."

"You will do no such thing," Kovu snarled. He began to walk away from his son.

"I'm grown, Dad. You can't tell me what—"

Kovu whirled around. "You are my son! My only one left! If you think I'm just going to let you run right into danger just to save a lioness, then you really must be crazy."

"Believe it." Fujo turned and began to walk out of the den. Kovu roared and ran in front of him.

"I said no!"

"And I say I don't care!" Fujo raised a paw to strike his father. "No get out of the way, or so help me, I will."

"No." Fujo swung his paw back a little further for that extra bit of oomph. By the time he would have gotten it completely back he was already on the ground, Kovu on top of him. "No means no," Kovu growled. He raised his voice, "Get in here. Now." Tumai, Vitani, and Kiara all shuffled into the den, Tumai with some meat in her mouth. Kovu got off Fujo and turned to face the lionesses. "I know you've all heard all of it." Vitani opened her mouth to speak. "Credit me with having some intelligence, 'Tani. Now we are going to sit here, and you—" he turned back to Fujo "—are going to sit here, and eat."

"Not a chance," protested Fujo, still on his back.

"I'll think it over," said Kovu.

"Liar." Fujo rolled over, went to Tumai, and grabbed the half-carcass out of her mouth. He walked to a far corner of the den and sat down and began to eat. There was silence for a few moments, then the lionesses began to talk to Kovu. It was all whispering, Fujo couldn't hear a thing. He could tell that it was getting steadily more agitated on Kovu's part, finally ending with him saying, "Give it _time_." Then Fujo had an idea. A stupid, stupid idea. He hung his head and sighed. Kiara walked over to him.

"Look, Fujo, I know you're sad about thi—" she stopped in mid-sentence as Fujo swung his paw up to her throat and grabbed it, claws extended. "Fujo?" she whispered.

Kovu looked up and roared. "Release her. Now!"

"You don't like it, do you, Dad?" asked Fujo. "I mean, she could die at any second, and there's not one thing you could do about it. I could just tighten the pressure a little here—" he extended his claws the millimeter further he dared. He really wasn't used to this kind of thing. Now Taraju, he could have done this flawlessly. "—and you'd never ever speak to her again. You see what I'm driving at?"

"You've made your point. Now get your paw off your mother's throat."

"Are we going to go now?"

"I told you I would think about it. Now let _go_." Fujo took his paw off Kiara's throat, relieved it hadn't come to anything worse. She put her paw up to it and stared at Fujo in disbelief. He nuzzled her.

"Sorry, Mom. Really." He finally noticed the completely shocked expressions Tumai and Vitani were wearing. He began to walk out of the den. "Start thinking," he growled as he walked past Kovu.

"Where are you going?" asked Tumai.

"Well, if you don't mind, my favorite light show is coming up." He turned the corner that led to the peak. Tumai watched him go, then turned back to Kovu.

"What?" he asked her.

"Sire, don't you think it would be good to indulge your son just this once?"

"Would you like to go to Aiheu-knows-where and kill some lion you don't even know?"

"We never said it would come to killing."

"Then you really are a fool." Kovu got up and began to walk out of the den.

"Aren't you curious?" asked Kiara. "Even a bit?"

"Nope." He walked resolutely out towards the Pridelands.

"Well," said Vitani, "apart from the part where they completely blew up at each other and he used his mother as a hostage, I'd say that went pretty well."

oOo

Fujo lied on his back on the top of Pride Rock, watching the sun slowly set. It was hard to say which he enjoyed more, his morning walks or this. They were both so peaceful. Which he found kind of odd, seeing as he was at his best surrounded by company. But some part of him just longed for the stillness. He gave a sigh and laid his head back. Happy.

He looked back up as he felt something walk up between his hind legs. Little Pofu was walking up onto his stomach. He sat down on Fujo's chest and stared at him.

"Yes?" Fujo asked. The cub tilted his head and continued staring. "I thought you were blind."

"I'm not blind. I just can't see." The cub tilted his head the other way. Fujo suddenly noticed how much better he looked. All of the other Outlanders had at least some trace of gauntness, and most of them more than just a trace. But Pofu had been completely filled out. They must have really cared for him.

"Uh, right." The cub continued staring at Fujo for a second, then turned around. "So, whatcha up here for?"

"Daddy told me you were up here." Fujo thought this through for a few moments, but couldn't come up with anything.

"Daddy?"

"Yes. He said he'd show me how to see." Fujo growled. He decided Pofu must have meant _his_ dad, filling cubs up with empty promises again. "He already showed me how to listen."

"You could hear just fine when you came here."

"I mean listen _differently_."

"Okay, you've lost me now."

The cub sighed. "It's okay, he said you wouldn't understand." That only made Fujo angrier. _Dad's the one who doesn't understand things_. He's_ the one who shuts himself off from the world if he doesn't know what something is_. "Maybe he can't help it," said Pofu.

"Oh, he can help it. He's just a stuck-up, overcautious jerk who refuses to see anything if it goes against what he says."

"But doesn't that mean he can't help it?"

"No."

"Daddy said he doesn't like you."

_Thank you very much for spreading that around_. "He'd rather have my brother. _He_ probably performed to 'expected standards.'"

"I don't understand."

"I don't expect you to." _You're only a cub_.

"Hey, what does that matter?" asked Pofu, whirling around.

"Did I say that out loud?" Pofu just glared at him angrily. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Now would you nicely lift your leg? That still hurts there." Pofu got off him and walked away, inadvertently digging his legs into Fujo's stomach when he jumped off. Fujo winced and watched as the cub left. He put his head down, seeing the stars in the sky. He let out a breath. A perfectly good sunset, wasted. He walked back down the back of Pride Rock, heading into the den for an early night. As he walked in he couldn't see Kovu anywhere. _Just like him to run away_. Fujo went to his spot in the den and laid down, finally resting his head on his paws.

oOo

Fujo woke up, the den slowly shifting into focus. He slowly lifted his head, having it feel like it was twice as heavy as normal. He carefully stepped over the sleeping lionesses until he made it outside the den. He took one look at the morning sun and crouched down in a yawn. Then, to his complete surprise, little Pofu tumbled off his head, hitting the ground with an "Oof!"

Fujo stared at him a moment as the cub got to his feet. "What were you doing in my mane?"

"It's nice. And fluffy. And I like it." The cub yawned. "It's a lot more comfy than Mom."

"That's nice. Now bugger back into the den before she misses you."

"Can't I go with you?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"But you're walking away." Fujo stopped in mid-step.

"How do you even know I'm going anywhere?"

"You do this every day. You told me."

"When?"

"Last night."

"Sure?"

"Yes."

Fujo sighed. He couldn't remember ever doing that. It didn't mean much, though. He didn't remember the bet Tumai had made with him that had cost him three days of humiliating attempts to hunt with the lionesses. "Alright, you can come."

"Can I ride?"

"_No_."

"Aww . . ."

"Now come on." Fujo walked off Pride Rock. A few moments later he was followed by Pofu falling down the steps.

"Ow . . ."

"You know, maybe it would be safer if you did ride."

"Okay," the cub said as he got to his feet. "Where are you?" Fujo groaned and walked over to the cub. He lowered his head so the cub could climb on.

"Up." Pofu jumped onto his mane, then slid down a little, hind feet scrabbling for a purchase. He finally caught hold of a knot in Fujo's mane and pushed himself up. Fujo growled. "Gods, what are you trying to do, rip it out?" He hefted himself so Pofu had a better hold. He started on his route through the Pridelands, Pofu surprisingly quiet on his neck. Fujo just walked along peacefully. After a while he even forgot about Pofu.

Until he spoke up again. "What's it like?"

Fujo thought about it for a moment. "Well, there's the sun coming up over the horizon, and you can hear some of the birds who are already up. There's a herd of gazelle on the right that are getting up, and there's the grass that's just shifting a little in the breeze, and there are trees, and a couple of giraffes already eating on the trees, and . . . oh, that must have _hurt_."

"What? Don't stop now!"

"There's a lion that looks like . . . it's like he's got a broken leg and _walking_ on it."

"How can you break a leg?"

"A lot of ways. Look, do you think you can find your way back?"

"Uh, mayb—"

"Good enough. Now get off. End of the line."

"Huh?"

"Off. Now." Pofu jumped, barely catching himself when he landed. "Good, now get back and tell the ki—no, the queen that she needs to get out here right away. Even better, tell Aunt 'Tani. GO!" Pofu scampered off. "Hey, it's the other way!" Pofu skidded, then turned and ran towards Pride Rock. "Oh, that was a bad idea," Fujo muttered. He ran toward the lion. He was starved, and his coat mussed. If Fujo didn't know that they were all at Pride Rock, he would have said it was one of the Outlanders. The lion looked up as Fujo came closer. He stared at Fujo as if he were a fresh carcass to a starving leopard. "Hey, are you okay?"

The lion gave a bitter laugh. "As fine as I'm going to be." Fujo noticed his horrible limp. One back leg seemed to be fine, but every step he took with it he seemed to grimace in pain. The other back leg he simply dragged along, as if it were nothing more than dead weight. "I'm looking for a guy. Kinda looked like you. Maybe you've seen him?"

"Who?"

"Well, I call him 'Sare."

"Sorry?" said Fujo, deliberately mispronouncing it.

"Don't. Every joke, every pun, just done to death. Look, his full name's Akasare. Maybe you've seen him?"

"I haven't heard of him. Look, are you sure there's nothing I can do for you? I mean, you do look pretty beat up."

"I've been worse."

"You look like you've got a broken back leg."

"They were both broken at one point." Fujo winced. The lion laughed at his reaction. "Yeah, that's pretty much what I did. May have been different if it had healed at least somewhat more right than it did." He sighed. "You happen to have any food?"

"Uh, yeah, back at the den, but that's pretty far away for your pace."

"I can make it. Where is it?"

"Uh, the big rock."

"Wow. Okay, that might be a little harder than expected."

There were a few moments of silence. "What happened to you?" asked Fujo.

The lion hesitated for a moment. "I'm not sure I should tell you that."

"Come on, it can't be too bad."

The lion hesitated again, then finally spoke. "I tried to kill my father. I did kill him. And for repayment, I get a nice rock in the back, and then I find out that _she's_ dead. Now I don't have anything to live for."

Fujo was quiet, trying to comprehend what the lion had gone through. He looked at his back legs again and winced again. "Look, are you sure you don't want to lie down or something?"

The lion glared at Fujo. "You ask that again and I'll show you how to crush a larynx so you'll never speak above a whisper again." Fujo didn't know what a larynx was, but he decided it would be healthier to stay quiet. About fifteen minutes later and what seemed to Fujo to be barely closer to Pride Rock Fujo saw Kovu and Vitani running towards him. As they got closer, the lion looked up. Kovu suddenly stopped, and then rushed at Fujo and the lion with renewed speed.

"YOU FILTHY RAT!" Kovu roared. The lion took a hasty step back. It didn't work too well, and he ended up sitting down.

"Whoa, there's no need for—" The rest of his sentence was blown out of him along with his wind as Kovu pounced on him.

"Kovu!" Vitani reprimanded. "He probably doesn't even know who you are!"

"Oh, he knows."

The lion squirmed underneath Kovu, then looked up at him again. Realization seemed to flicker across his face. "Wait a second . . . you're that little guy that I left bleeding in the Outlands, with what's-her-name."

"Do you have any idea how much that hurt?!"

"Do you have any idea how much _I_ hurt?"

"Why did you even come back?"

"I was told I could find someone here."

"Who?" Kovu growled.

"Akasare." Kovu's face lit up, and then it changed back to rage. "Oh, so you know him."

"What do you want with my son?" Kovu said in a low, menacing voice.

"Son?" the lion asked. He seemed genuinely surprised. "Son? We-he-hell, that explains a lot. You know, he took after you pretty well, too." Kovu clubbed the lion across the face. The lion let out a grunt of pain, then stared indignantly up at Kovu.

"Answer me _now_."

"I just wanted him to help me out. Just a little shove over the cliff of life. I knew he wouldn't mind." Kovu looked as though he considered hitting the lion again.

"Don't you dare talk about him that way. He changed."

"What, you're not telling me he went soft, are you? Not 'Sare? That's impossible." Kovu snarled and dug his claws into the lion, causing him to wince. "Oh, yeah, that's it. Now just tear 'em out . . ."

"Kovu," said Vitani. "Kovu, think through this. This isn't right."

"He raised Taraju to be a killer. He's the reason he's gone now." It dawned on Fujo. This was one of the lions that found Taraju and twisted him into the monster that had committed atrocities without a glance back. Suddenly Fujo wished he were on top of the lion instead of Kovu.

"Hey, if it weren't for me and Dingane, I doubt he would have gotten anywhere. He was starving when we found him. And what do you mean, gone?"

"I mean he's dead."

"Oh . . . I'm sorry to hear that." The lion really did seem to be hurt by it. "How did it happen?"

"He came to his senses and did the right thing," said Fujo quietly. They all turned to stare at him. "Dad, get off him."

"Excuse me?" said Kovu.

"Get off him. Now."

"Who do you think you are to be giving—"

"Get _off_ him." Kovu suddenly stepped off, scared by the look in Fujo's face. Fujo advanced on the lion. "I want you gone _now_. If you ever come in this kingdom again, I'll break every bone in your miserable body, and just leave you there like you did to Taraju. Now _get out_." The lion glared angrily at Fujo, then slowly stood up, his hind legs giving him almost no support in the task at all. He finally managed to get to his feet. Fujo turned back for Pride Rock

"Aren't you going to even going to say goodbye?" asked the lion. Fujo kept walking. He heard the lion mutter something and Kovu roar in response. The lion laughed, and then began to limp his way back into the Outlands. Kovu and Vitani watched for a second, then ran to catch up to Fujo. Kovu opened his mouth to speak.

"Have you decided yet?" asked Fujo.

"No."

"She's closer to dead every second we wait." Kovu couldn't come up with an answer. They didn't speak again the entire way back. They saw the hunters leaving for the morning meal part of the way back. When they did arrive Kiara was waiting for them.

"What happened?" she asked. Fujo stalked on by her. She turned to Kovu and Vitani.

Kovu sighed. "We had to meet an old friend."

As Fujo went into the den, he noticed Pofu and another cub happily eating some of the leftover meat that Fujo hadn't finished the night before. Fujo suddenly realized he was starving. He decided to let it go. He slumped down to the floor, willing himself to be asleep by the time the hunters came back.

oOo

Fujo woke up at dinnertime. At least he assumed it was dinnertime, as the sun had completely disappeared from the sky visible from the den, and he had a pain in his stomach that he rarely experienced. He yawned and got up, stretched out, then, sure enough, lionesses began to come into the den, dragging carcasses behind them. He gave another yawn and went outside the den.

The rest of the lionesses were coming back, almost in a straight line. He walked back into the den, seeing one who had just hunted take a few mouthfuls of meat, then walk over to relieve the lioness who had substituted for her as mother, letting cubs that weren't her own suckle at her side. It had to be this way, otherwise there would never be enough hunting done. The cubs didn't seem to mind, anyway. Fujo didn't when he was one.

Tumai came in and dropped her carcass by Fujo. Fujo turned to look at her. "So, how did it go?"

"You wouldn't believe it, Fujo. Those Outlanders are amazing. They don't even hunt like we do."

"And this revolutionizes the world how?"

"You know how we hunt singly or with a partner, right? Well, they don't. They told us to hang back and watch them try something, first. Shani didn't want to do it at first, but they managed to convince her. And they were right. We'll save plenty of time doing it their way."

"Which is?"

"Just surrounding the herd with everyone and rushing it. I mean, every one of those lionesses got a kill. And it was entirely unspoken. No words, no signals. They just went and acted." She took a bite out of the antelope. "They made us look like amateurs. And I'd like to think I have some experience." She swallowed.

"Still waiting to see how this changes my dinner."

"I guess I wouldn't expect you to care. You're a lion. Hunting requires a lioness's touch."

"Taraju would probably be hurt by that." Fujo took a bite out of the carcass.

"He was different. You know, I got to talking with one of them, and they actually knew Taraju when he grew up. Said he was pretty good at hunting with them, too."

"Again, how does this affect my dinner?"

Tumai sighed. "I suppose it doesn't. I guess the only way it will is you'll have more food now."

"That's always good news."

"They start teaching us how to do it their way tomorrow, for anyone who wants to learn. Shani's still as stuck up as ever, though."

"What a pity."

"I thought about having you take lessons."

"You must be crazy."

"Oh yes, I run around hunting and bringing home the meat while you just sit there on your lazy behind doing nothing all day."

"Sounds good to me."

"I was being sarcastic."

"But that doesn't mean it's not a good idea." They ate a little more in silence, staring around the den. Pofu happily had a little carcass all to himself. He didn't seem too happy about it, though. The other cubs kept shooting him fearful looks, looking away when ever he looked their way. It must have been something about this morning. Speaking of which—"Hey, have you seen Dad anywhere?" Tumai muttered something indistinguishable around a mouthful of meat. "What?"

Tumai swallowed. "I said he was with Nadhari."

"Yeah, but where is he?"

"Search me." She paused, took another bite of meat. "So, what is it about this lioness?"

"Huh? Which lioness?"

"The one that you come home ranting about and saying that we have to rescue, or else she's doomed to eternal suffering or something like that."

"It's just not _right_. How would you like it if Dad beat you on a regular basis? How would you like it if he made you wait on him however you wanted, and whenever you did something he did like the result was instant pain?"

She swallowed. "And that's all?"

"Isn't that enough? She's out there, and he isn't going to stop until he's taken her to within an inch of her life, and kept her there for longer than I'd even like to imagine. She needs help, and I'm the only—why are you laughing?!"

Tumai quieted down. She gave a small sigh, then got up and licked Fujo on the face. "You're cute when you're stupid." She began to walk away, Fujo thinking furiously. The dawn finally broke.

"Hey . . . Hey, it's not like that, okay?" Tumai burst into laughter again and kept walking. "Look, I just want to help her!"

"Whatever you say, Fujo." She turned the corner that led to the tanning rock. Fujo sat back down and continued eating. _It isn't like that_. _Well, maybe_ . . . _No_._ Definitely no_. He took another bite out of the carcass. He looked over at Pofu again. He had finished all he could eat of his carcass and was now lying down and yawning. Fujo wondered what it was like to not even be able to see what you were eating. He slowly worked down the rest of his carcass, staring around the den as hid did so. You almost couldn't tell who was and Outlander and who wasn't. The pride had accepted them, fully and completely. The only difference was how filled out the bodies were, and the Outlanders were getting closer to normal for that, too.

Fujo finished off what was left of the antelope, and lied down with a sigh. He would just wait until Kovu got back. If he wasn't willing to help Fujo, then Fujo would just up and leave. _He'll be here any time_. _He'll come walking through that mouth any second now_ . . . _any second_ . . .

Three hours later Kovu still wasn't anywhere. Kiara didn't seem unduly worried. Fujo, on the other hand, was going crazy. He had started the pacing in hour two, much to Tumai's amusement when she came back in. Finally Fujo exploded. "Where is he? That's what I want to know. Where the heck is he?!"

"Who?" asked Kiara.

"Dad!"

"Oh, he said he might not be back tonight."

"What?! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, he did tell me not to."

"You know, these are the things that really upset me."

"Look, the other lionesses are going to be coming back in soon, so you might as well just lie down," said Vitani. "Besides, I hear you make a pretty good pillow."

"Hey!"

"Just lie down and everything will be fine. Trust me. I grew up with your dad, remember?"

Grudgingly Fujo lied down, muttering about secrets. After a while the other lionesses did come in for the night, filling the den gradually in groups of twos and threes. Finally all the Outlanders came at once, little Pofu along with them. He said something to his mother, who nudged him in Fujo's direction. He walked over to Fujo. "Do you mind if I sleep with you again tonight?"

Fujo looked up, surprised. "Huh? No, not at all. Hop on up." Pofu jumped on Fujo, and Fujo nudged him up the rest of the way with his muzzle. "Sweet dreams." Pofu snuggled into Fujo's mane, finally stopping with a contented sigh. Fujo heard a snicker and shifted to see Tumai laughing quietly. _Oh well_. _She never did think much of me anyway_.

"No, she likes you," muttered Pofu.

"Huh?" whispered Fujo. Pofu didn't say anything. Fujo assumed he was asleep already. He laid his head back down, but kept his eyes open. _I will not fall asleep_. _I will not nod off_. _I will stay awake until Dad comes back_. Still, no matter how hard he tried, his eyelids drooped. _I will not sleep_. _I will not sleep_. _I _will not_ sleep_. _Oh, who am I kidding?_ He closed his eyes and finally succumbed to dreamland.

oOo

Fujo woke the next morning a little earlier than usual. He took a look around. Kovu still wasn't back. He began to get to his feet, then remembered Pofu was still on his back. He rolled to one side in an attempt to make Pofu roll off. He began to get up again, then stopped when he felt the extra weight still on his back. He got to his feet, then tried to bounce his body up and down slightly, as well as to the side. Pofu didn't move. After a few moments of this Fujo gave up and went outside, the cool blast of wind waking him up the rest of the way. He arched his back towards the ground, feeling the vertebrae pop, then bowed low in a yawn. Pofu came tumbling out. Fujo gave a groan. "Why me?" he mouthed.

Pofu got to his feet. "Are we going for a walk again?"

"_I'm_ going for a walk again. Are you really sure _you_ should be going?"

"Why?"

"Well, from what I heard, your mother was _very_ worried about you yesterday," Fujo lied.

"She didn't even know I was gone until I came back for Sire."

Fujo frowned. Apparently he wasn't going to get out of this one, either. "Alright, fine, you can come." It hadn't been that bad yesterday.

"Yes!" Pofu leapt happily towards Fujo, hitting Fujo's side and landing on his back on the ground.

"I didn't say to get on yet." Fujo stooped down to Pofu's level. "Alright, try again."

Pofu made it this time, without Fujo's help at all. Fujo sighed and began down Pride Rock. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay here?" asked Pofu.

"Huh? Yeah you're fine." Fujo walked down the steps for Pride Rock, then out to the Pridelands. It was just the same as every morning, still and peaceful. He finally felt content again. He came up on a herd of antelope, walking right through them. They knew him well enough that he didn't have to worry about being attacked. They saw him walking every morning. Taraju, on the other hand, he thought, would probably have made them start running for dear life. He recalled how he had brought home a wildebeest and an antelope by himself one morning.

"Who's Taraju?" asked Pofu.

"Huh? Oh, he was my brother. He was the guy who was with you in the Outlands."

"He was a bad lion."

"No, Taraju wasn't a bad lion. He changed. Now, the guy who he was before he changed was bad, what's his name . . ."

"Akasare?"

"Yeah, that sounds right. He was bad. Taraju was sorry for what he did to you."

"He wanted me dead. I wasn't supposed to happen."

"What?"

"I wasn't planned. And whatever wasn't planned, he didn't want. He didn't like me."

"I don't even think he knew you existed."

"Then why did Mommy and Daddy always have to hide me? I didn't like hiding."

Fujo didn't have an answer. He just kept walking. He couldn't contemplate just killing a cub because it didn't fit into your plans. Life must have been horrible under Taraju before he came back to the Pridelands. Someone dictating how much food you had, and them never ever supplying enough; someone dictating where you slept, where you lived, how many cubs you had. It was unthinkable. But Taraju had thought it. There was nothing but silence the rest of the way, Fujo occupied with his thoughts of Taraju.

When they finally reached the den the lionesses were getting up, as usual. Unusually, Kovu still wasn't back. Fujo went inside and lied down. He felt Pofu scramble off him, and watched him pause for a second before his mother called to him and he ran over to her. Fujo let out a sigh. Nothing to do but wait for breakfast. Then he noticed almost every lioness leaving the den. _Hunting lessons_, Fujo remembered. He was fine with that. He could take a little solitude for that. _More food for me_.

His thoughts of endless amounts of meat had turned to _Where are they?_ by the time they had come back. They had been gone at least twice as long as normal. Finally Tumai came in with a carcass, followed by several other lionesses. Then, to Fujo's surprise, a few of the lionesses came in without a carcass, and to top that, limping, Kiara among them. He looked up at Tumai as she dropped her carcass.

"That had to be one of the worst hunts I've ever been in," she said.

"Well, good morning to you, too," responded Fujo.

She glared at Fujo, then took a piece off the carcass. "Half of them didn't even know what to do, and the other half were so uncoordinated it's a miracle that we got any meat at all."

"So, it went pretty well, huh?" More glaring. "Look, just give it time, right? You can't expect everyone to get it the first time. I didn't," Fujo added in an undertone.

Tumai smiled. "I am _never_ going to forget that. You couldn't even catch the zebra."

"Yeah, rub it in." He got up and began to share the carcass. After his second bite Kovu walked in. Fujo stood up too quickly and began to choke on his meat. He finally got it down, then walked over to Kovu. "If you don't say yes now, I'm going. I'm walking right out of this den, and there will not be a thing you can do to stop me."

"Good morning, Fujo," said Kovu.

"Look, we don't have time for 'Good morning, Fujo.' She's out there dying, and we need to go get her."

"You don't need to argue. You've already won."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't—what?"

"Just sit down and eat your breakfast. We can go."

"What's with the sudden change in attitude?"

"Eat. That's an order." Fujo didn't need to be told twice. "I've been checking what you said all night, with Nadhari's help. Finally I decided that it just wasn't right. So we're going."

"That's it? No startling revelations? No epiphanies?"

"Fujo, don't push it."

"So when do we get the pride ready to go?"

"They're not going."

"But you just said—"

"I said _we_ can go. Just you and me. I'm not going to risk anyone else."

"Dad, this guy was raised on pure violence. He thrives on the stuff. How do you possibly think that we don't need help?" Kovu tilted his head. "Look, don't get me wrong, but—"

"We're not going to kill anyone unless we absolutely have to. Just get the lioness and get out."

"He'll hurt the others!"

"Not our problem."

"If you look at it, this isn't really our problem either!"

"So should I just call the whole thing off?" Fujo shut up. "I thought so."

"Kovu, you need to see this," said Vitani. Fujo turned around to see Vitani's face filled with worry.

"What is it?"

"It's Kiara. She's hurt."

"What?!"

"Just a hunting accident. I thought you should see her."

"Alright." He stood up and went over to Kiara. Her face was grimaced in pain. "Kiara?" Kiara looked up to see Kovu. "I just can't leave you alone, can I?"

"Where have you been?" Kiara asked.

"I've decided to go with Fujo. Just me and him. What happened? I leave one night and you go out and do some stupid thing like this."

"It's more what she didn't do," said Vitani. "She just didn't get out of the way in time."

Kovu shook his head. "Are you going to be alright?"

"She should be fine," said Vitani. "Just a pain in her leg for a couple of days, then she'll be fine."

Fujo walked over. "Dad, I'm done."

"Alright."

"Kovu, are you sure you want to do this?" asked Kiara.

"Nope. This has got to be one of the stupidest things I've done."

"Stupider than trying to kill my dad?"

"Uh-huh." He stood up to leave. Fujo was already heading out the cave.

"Stupider than trying to stop a pride war?"

"Oh, yeah." He was walking away.

"Stupider than trying to keep back a mountain of cheetahs?"

"Yep." He walked out. Kiara looked up at Vitani for some kind of help.

"He's probably right." she said.


	3. The King

The King

Kovu followed behind Fujo. The thought _This is a bad idea_ kept on popping into his head. It wasn't helping that Fujo seemed to have absolutely no idea where he was going. "Are you sure this is the right way?" he finally asked.

"Nope," replied Fujo.

"What?"

"Look, I just didn't really have a set way to get here. It was random. I think."

"Do you have any idea where we are?"

"Someplace between our kingdom and hers."

"So you generally know where we are."

"Uh, kinda-sorta."

"Which really means?"

"Not so much."

Kovu resumed scowling. "So you don't know where it is."

"Not really, no."

_This is a bad idea_ seemed perfectly justified.

"Wait, here we go. I know this place. Here's that carcass, and that way should be . . ." Fujo trailed off. He stopped at what was left of the carcass after the scavengers had gotten through with it, stared at it for a few seconds, then started to wander off. Kovu followed him.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" asked Kovu irritably.

"If I had a chance to think, I would know." Fujo looked up, then began walking steadily away. "This way!" He broke into a run, Kovu easily catching up to him. He stopped at a small cliff.

"You know, I don't think they live here," remarked Kovu.

"This is where she was led away. That's the last I saw of her."

"Do you even know her name?"

Fujo thought for a moment. "No. No, she never did give it to me."

"I'm beginning to think more and more that this was a horrible mistake."

"Look, it will just take a while to find her. After that it'll be a breeze. Hopefully." Fujo started walking away again.

"I thought you said this was where you last saw her."

"She went this way."

"And she could have taken countless turns to get back home. You said she had been gone for two days."

"Would you like to try?"

"Fine." Kovu strode ahead of Fujo. "Do you even have any idea of what to do once you find her?"

"I thought you had a plan."

"When did I ever say that?"

"Well, you did seem like you knew what to do."

"When you're king, you always seem to know everything. And you almost never do." Kovu sarcastically assumed the voice of a mentor. "Remember this, and you will do well, my son."

"Is that really all?"

"Not even close." They traveled in silence for a little while, Kovu striding confidently ahead. Fujo finally spoke up again.

"_Do_ you have a plan?"

"We get the lioness and leave."

"That's it?"

"I know, brilliant in its simplicity, isn't it? Look, we can improvise. Now for once in your life be _quiet_ and let me _think_." He turned abruptly, heading off in a new direction. He began to look at the landscape around him. It didn't differ that much from the Pridelands, other than it actually seemed to be flourishing more. Everywhere there was life, and there seemed to be no end to it. No dry spots, no dead trees or grass. Kovu looked at it all appreciatively. "You know, Fujo, despite what you said about the king here, he really does seem to know how to rule. I mean, this is _nice_."

"I try not to think about that." He was looking at it in distaste. "This really shouldn't be the result for what he's done."

"So he's good at his job. It isn't going to kill anyone."

"Taraju."

"Okay, hopefully it won't kill anyone."

More silence as they walked along. Kovu took two more sharp turns along the way. Finally Fujo asked him, "Do _you_ have any idea where you're going?"

"Yes. The grass here has been trampled down more. It either leads back to the den or in completely the wrong direction. Take your pick." Fujo stayed quiet after that.

After that they finally stumbled upon another rock face. There were two caves in it, one higher up above the other, connected by a piece of rock jutting out between them. The lower one's mouth was set deeper back into the rock face, and off to the side of the large cave. The back of the face was covered with grass, and arched up over the two caves like a huge wave, jutting out some ten feet in front of the top cave's mouth. There were plenty of weird landmarks Fujo and Kovu had passed, and this one wouldn't have been worth mentioning either, except for the fact that Kovu managed to see the head of a lioness sticking out of one.

"Gotcha." He crouched down in the grass surrounding him.

"What?" Fujo hesitated a moment, then crouched down beside his father.

"Right there. Look. There's a lioness in there." The lioness hurriedly withdrew her head. "Too late. So, what do you want to do? Just go up to him and say, 'Please, sire, let me have one of your lionesses?'"

"Sounds like a good idea. You first." Kovu glared at Fujo. "Hey, you had the idea, you should have the credit."

"I don't even want to be here. Look, she doesn't know me. She _does_ know you. You are just going in there, getting her, and getting out."

"And if he's in there?"

"Then run like hell."

"_Dad_."

"Fine, I'll come up with something. But we are just going in and going out."

Kovu stood up. "You won't think that once you see them," said Fujo.

Kovu started toward the lower den. "I doubt it." Fujo got up and headed after his father. The lioness stuck her head out again and looked around. When she saw Kovu and Fujo she gasped, and withdrew it immediately. Kovu became tense, and walked toward the cave more cautiously. He walked straight for the center instead of the side of it he had been aiming for. He slowly entered the cave. Lionesses were lying down inside the cave, although there were a few sitting. All of them looked to him in fear. Fujo came in after him, not nearly as cautious as his father. The lionesses just seemed to glance at him, then return their gaze to Kovu. Finally one of the lionesses spoke, but in no more than a whisper. Fujo couldn't quite make out what they were saying. He finally spoke up.

"Um, I'm looking for a lioness, she should be around here."

"What do you want with us?" one of the lionesses asked. Fear was written across her face.

"Uh, nothing. Look, I'm just looking for someone. Maybe you've seen her?" Fujo realized this was going to get him nowhere. "Uh, look, she's about, um . . . well, her fur is kind of . . . yeah." His attempts at description died as he saw all of the lionesses around the den in much the same state the lioness he was looking for. "Okay, if it helps, she looks like you." The lionesses just stared at him. "Do you mind if I look around?" More staring. "Okay, thanks."

Fujo headed toward the back of the den, the lionesses quickly getting out of his way. He looked at each of their faces, hoping to find some familiar trace. All he found was fear. Kovu stayed at the entrance of the den for a few seconds as he watched his son go further back, but followed him after he felt he had gone too far. He had no idea how these lionesses would react, but he didn't want his son in there alone. The lionesses' gazes shifted from Fujo to Kovu as he walked through, filled with even more fear than before. They began to whisper as he went past.

"The scar . . ."

"Taka . . ."

Fujo pressed further back. At the very back of the den he found several lionesses huddled together, but who readily moved out of the way as he grew closer. There, on the ground, was _the_ lioness, her body beaten, slashes crusted over with dried blood. She looked up at Fujo when he approached. "You," she whispered.

"Yeah, it's me," said Fujo.

"How dare you come back?!" the lioness demanded. Fujo stepped back, surprised. The lioness tried to get up, but fell to the ground, wincing in pain. "How could you even stand to come back after you do this to me?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Fujo.

"You sell me out to him, and then you have the nerve to come back?!"

"Look, I didn't tell him. I told you that."

"Who else knew where I was?" asked the lioness, pushing herself up again. "Who else—unh!" She fell to the floor again. "Just look what you've done," she said weakly. "I hope you're happy."

"Should I kill him now, Taabu?" Fujo looked over to see a hyena slink out of the shadows, the same hyena that had come upon Fujo and the lioness and warned the lioness that she had been found.

"Please. Maybe he'll serve some purpose as a meal." said the lioness. The hyena launched herself at Fujo, knocking him to the ground. Kovu had been keeping only a fraction of his attention on Fujo, he had been so preoccupied with the lionesses. Fujo was right, they really were pathetic. Then he heard a snarl from the back of the den and saw his son being bowled over by a hyena. He ran to his son, knocked the hyena off, and pinned it to the floor in one swift movement. He kept her there, the hyena's face shocked.

"Dad, wait," said Fujo.

"Why? It tried to kill you."

"Just get off it."

"Fujo?"

"Please." Kovu slowly got off, the hyena still staring at Kovu in shock. Slowly it melted away to anger.

"You!" the hyena cried. She launched herself up at Kovu, who immediately pinned her down again. He swept his paw back this time.

"Dad! No!" Kovu barely stopped himself. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking she just tried to kill me, too."

"You deserve it, Taka! You don't even deserve to walk the face of this earth!"

"What did I ever do to you?"

"You slaughtered my entire family, just letting them starve to death! 'You'll have food,' you said. 'You will reign at my side,' you said. And they took you up on that, trusting you! The only one that even survived was my mother, carrying me inside her! And she had to leave her home just to live!"

The pieces connected in Kovu's head. "Ohhh." He slowly got off the hyena. "I see now. You think I'm Scar."

"I know you're Scar!" The hyena angrily got up.

"Look, Scar is dead. He's gone."

"And why should I believe you? You have everything my mother said he had. A black mane, a scar across his left eye."

"You'll just have to trust me."

"Like I did him?" asked the hyena, nodding at Fujo.

"Hey, would I have come back if I had done it?" demanded Fujo angrily.

"You might!"

"Look, I came back to make sure she's safe. She shouldn't be paying for what she did."

"But she is, all the same."

"What do you care? You're just a hyena."

"We're animals, too!"

"Barely."

"Look, I care about her because this isn't right. I've had to watch her since she was a cub. All of them. When he doesn't give them enough food, I'm there. When he beat them and left them out in the savannah to die I brought them back to their mothers. And there isn't a single one of them that doubts that I care for them."

"And look what a wonderful job you've done, too." Fujo gestured at the lioness lying on the ground.

"She's alive, isn't she?"

"In a condition that pitiful, it's a surprise."

"And what do you think you can do? Hmm?"

"I can take them away." Fujo turned to the other lionesses and raised his voice. "I can take all of you away. You'll never have to live like this again. You can be _free_."

"No." It was Kovu.

"What?"

"We can't take them. Just her."

"If she leaves, do you have any idea what he'll do to them?"

"No. And neither do you. We don't have the room to take in another pride. Only she can come."

"We can save them!"

"It's not our kingdom."

"I'm not leaving." Fujo and Kovu turned to see the lioness speaking. "Not without my sisters."

"See?" asked Fujo.

"Then we're leaving," said Kovu. "Right now."

"Dad—"

"I have a pride to think of, and this isn't it." He began to walk out of the den.

"Wait!" said the hyena.

"Why?"

"He'll see you."

"He isn't even here."

"He's in the other den. He's a little—preoccupied. Look, please help them. Please. I'm tired of living like this, and so are they. Just taking a few . . . it would be a godsend."

"None of us are leaving, Mother," said a lioness. "Not without the rest of us."

"Mother?" Kovu mouthed at Fujo. Fujo just shrugged.

"How could we even choose?" asked another lioness.

"How could we live with knowing what he would do to the ones who stayed behind?" asked the first lioness.

"Alright then. We're leaving," said Kovu. He started for the mouth again.

"No," hissed the hyena. "_No!_"

Kovu walked out of the den. He managed to get just a few feet from the mouth before he heard, "I'm enjoying myself when I hear that, for some reason, two lions have just walked straight into my den." Kovu turned to see a red-brown-maned lion walking down the path between the two dens. "So, who are you, and what were you doing in my den?" the lion growled. Then suddenly the lion's face lit up. "Oh. I beg your apologies."

"Excuse me?"

"Aren't you the great and mighty Scar?"

Kovu sighed. This was getting old already. "No. Scar is dead."

"Then who are you?" said the lion, suddenly advancing on Kovu again.

"I am his son, Kovu." It seemed like the best thing to say. "And you are?"

"Sibu. I rule here."

"And you've done a wonderful job."

"Oh, it's nothing compared to Scar. Your father's acts are legendary here."

"Really."

"Oh yes. So, what brings you here?"

"Nothing, really. Just passing through. I probably should be leaving anyway."

"No, please stay. If you really are who you say you are, you are more than welcome here."

"That really isn't necessary."

"I think otherwise. Besides, you must be hungry. At least stay for dinner. Or didn't Scar teach his son courtesy?"

"Alright then. I'll stay, for dinner at least."

"Now, where is the other one who was with you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I received a report of two lions."

"Oh. That would be my son. He's still inside."

"Well then, why don't we go back inside the den?"

Inside the den, things had gone into a flurry as soon as they had heard the lion's voice. After they heard the voice there was an initial moment where everything stopped and panic, then an almost universal turning of heads toward the hyena. She started to give orders, "You four, in front of Taabu again. Uchungu, Weusi, back to the front. Everyone else, just act normal." She began to slink to her hiding place again while the lionesses immediately responded to her commands.

"What about me?" asked Fujo.

"I advise you stay away from Taabu, and come up with a damn good explanation of why you're in here." She sat back into the shadows, almost invisible if you weren't looking for her.

Fujo turned to the injured lioness. "Taabu?"

"What?" she groaned.

"What kind of name is Taabu?"

"It's a damn sight better than Fujo."

"Hey, it's a good—" He was cut off by a renewed voice outside the den.

"Well then, why don't we go back inside the den?" Several of the lionesses turned to face Taabu, their faces etched with concern. What Fujo could see of Taabu between the lionesses began to tremble uncontrollably.

"No . . ." she said. "No, not again, oh _please_ not again . . . Let him forget . . ."

Sibu walked into the den, followed by Kovu the lionesses hurriedly getting out of their way. When Sibu saw Fujo he stopped dead. "Is this a joke?" he asked Kovu.

"No, sire, this would be my son. He brought me here to—see your fine lands."

"Did your son also mention that I told him he had better stay away?"

"It may have come up. But he seemed so—intent on coming back that I thought that there may really be something to what he said about you and your—approaches to ruling a healthy kingdom. I just came to observe."

Barely any of this seemed to penetrate Sibu as he glared at Fujo. Fujo put on a sort of half-attempted smile. "Uh, hi?"

"Why are you here?" demanded Sibu.

"Oh, I just wanted to stop by, say hello to some childhood friends, catch up, you know that sort of thing," Fujo said nervously.

"You're lying."

"What, me? No, of course not, never. I mean, not generally at least. Sometimes a little white one slips out now and then but usually, no, not really."

"When I tell someone I don't want them to do something, I expect them to comply. It would be better, Kovu, if you warned your son that I crush fools who get in my way. Speaking of fools . . ." Sibu looked away from Fujo, casting his gaze around the den. He finally stopped when he saw the trembling Taabu. He laughed, not at all in a nice way. "I had almost forgotten . . ."

Tears began to stream down Taabu's face. "Please my lord, no . . . I beg of you . . . Please have mercy . . ."

"Mercy?" Sibu asked, then laughed. "You should have thought of mercy when you killed my father. You'll receive just as much—_mercy_—as he did." He advanced on Taabu.

"My lord, please, no, please don't, please," Taabu begged, her voice rising hysterically. Lionesses turned away, some of them crying; they knew what would happen. Sibu grabbed Taabu as she tried to get up and back away. He mounted her, his extended claws tearing through her skin, opening up old wounds and creating new ones. Taabu cried out in pain as the claws dug in deeper and deeper. Several of the lionesses began to cry. Fujo watched for only a few seconds before leaving the den and quietly becoming sick outside. Kovu simply looked away, but he was still unable to close his ears to the cries of pain. After what seemed like an eternity it was over, Taabu's cries devolving into a steady stream of tears. For good measure Sibu hit Taabu before turning back to Kovu.

"I believe I said something about food?" Sibu asked, as if nothing had happened at all.

"Briefly," Kovu forced out. Sibu looked at him inquisitively.

"Where is your son?"

"He had to go outside to—relieve himself." Kovu finally looked up from the floor at Sibu, only to find a mocking smile.

"I see you still have some things to teach your son." He turned to one of the lionesses. "So, where is the food?"

"M-my lord," the lioness stammered, "we—we simply—we don't have any."

"You don't have any?" growled Sibu.

"We didn't know we would be receiving guests, sire."

"And is that an excuse?!" roared Sibu. He whipped a paw across the lioness's face, knocking her to the ground. Kovu gave a start, barely catching himself. Sibu noticed and turned to Kovu. "Does this—bother you?" He hit the lioness again, who was getting up. Kovu just stared, willing himself to stay impassive. "I mean surely something like this—" Sibu hit the lioness again—"doesn't bother Scar's son, hmm?" He hit the lioness again. Kovu twitched. Sibu saw it, his face spreading into a smile. "So it _does_ bother you. To think that even you have gone soft." Sibu turned back to the lioness. "Now get us meat and be quick about it!"

The lioness got to her feet before she could receive another blow. She touched her lips to Sibu's paws. "Yes, my lord." She headed out of the den, several lionesses at her heels.

"And take Umo as well." The lioness stopped and turned back to Sibu as one who was lying down on the floor looked up.

"My lord, she is over three moons pregnant. Are you sure it is wise to—"

"Do you question my judgment?" Sibu thundered. The lioness cowered.

"No, my lord," she responded. Umo raised herself from the floor of the den and moved slowly out of the den along with the rest of the hunters. Kovu noticed how heavily pregnant she was and felt a pang of sadness. _Fujo was right_, he thought sadly. Sibu watched them go, then turned to Kovu.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I still have some matters to attend to." Sibu began to walk out of the den. "Feel free to any of the lionesses. But not your son." The lionesses looked at Kovu in fear. Kovu tried to give them a reassuring look; it didn't seem to do much good. Sibu walked outside of the den and looked where Kovu couldn't see, and laughed before heading up to his den. Fujo slowly walked in, looking thoroughly miserable and shocked.

"That was horrible," Fujo said. His voice was hollow, dead.

"Now do you see what they have to go through?" Kovu and Fujo turned to see the hyena stepping out into the open again. "Every single day. And that was barely anything; he's in a good mood today. So do you feel any differently?"

"Yes," said Kovu. "But why are you doing this?"

"Because they need your help."

"I'm not talking about asking me, I'm asking you why you're helping them."

The hyena sighed. "I don't even know how long ago it was. Years, at least. I was hunting when I found Weusi there—" she gestured to one of the older lionesses by the cave entrance—"lying on the ground, scratches covering what must have been half her body. And she was only a cub. Yes, at first I thought it was just a free meal, but that changed when I saw her face. That was utter despair. She had completely given up hope. That brute's father had just left her out there to die. I asked her where her parents were, and she just pointed where her mother was. I picked her up and brought her back here. The lionesses didn't trust me at first, they thought I had just accidentally picked the wrong cave to eat in." The hyena gave a small sigh of laughter. "I couldn't have found anything to eat on her, she was so bony. The next day I came by again, and brought a carcass with me. They actually burst into tears seeing that meat. And . . . it just kind of—went—from there." The hyena just stopped talking. A few of the lionesses were actually smiling. Even Taabu had stopped crying. The hyena looked up from the floor of the den. "So, will you help us?"

"Yes," said Kovu. Fujo looked at his father in surprise. "Don't look so shocked. They really do need us. Besides, what would your mother think if I came back without helping them?"

"Thank you Dad," said Fujo. He turned to the hyena. "Well, I suppose I should get to know you. I'm Fujo, he's Kovu, and you're—Sinabi, right?"

The hyena gave a small snort of laughter. "Fisadi. And this is Taabu," she said, gesturing to the injured lioness. "And Uchungu, Huzuni, Ufukara . . ." she slowly went around the den, naming all of them, the lionesses nodding as their name came up.

"Well," said Kovu after Fisadi had finished, "I see your mothers had such positive attitudes when naming you."

"They're good names," said the one named Huzuni, her voice an ugly, throaty rasp.

"They're the only ones we know," said Weusi. She had a chunk missing from her ear which reminded Kovu uncomfortably of Zira. Zira, however, still had most of her ear; Weusi's was almost entirely gone.

"I didn't mean that," said Kovu. He looked around the den. "I need some time to think." He stood up and left the den. The lionesses turned to face Fujo for a few moments, then went back to lying down or talking. Fisadi left without a word. Fujo watched her leave cautiously, then went over to Taabu. She looked up at him, then laid her head back down.

"I'm sorry," said Fujo. Taabu just lied there. "I didn't—know. I mean, it isn't right for you to have to go through that and . . . well, especially you, and—"

"Out with it," Taabu said.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is . . . Okay, I don't know what I'm trying to say. It's just that—oh, I don't know."

"If it's any consolation, I believe you didn't tell him. You weren't the only way he could have found out."

"Well, that's a relief, I guess . . . Look, I don't really know how to say this, but . . . I think I like you."

Taabu suddenly looked up. "I beg your worthless pardon?"

"Well, when he . . . you remember . . ."

"Vividly."

"Well, I wasn't just—disgusted. I was angry. I wanted to hurt him. Bad. I've—I've never felt like that before."

"Let's just get one thing straight," said Taabu. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, her face in a horrible grimace as she did so. When she was finally up she looked Fujo straight in the eye. "I may be accepting your help. But that doesn't mean I like you. At all. Now get out of my way."

"Huh?"

"Get out of the way."Fujo stepped to the side. "Thank you." She began to slowly and painfully make her way towards the mouth of the cave. Fujo watched her walk for a little while then lied down in her spot. After about a minute he heard a thud and looked up to see Taabu sprawled across the den floor, obviously having collapsed. He ran over to her.

"Are you okay?" Taabu snarled at him. She pushed herself up again and began for the den entrance again. Fujo watched her go, then turned to look at the other lionesses. They acted as if they hadn't even noticed it. Fujo managed to catch Uchungu's eye. "What happened? Shouldn't you have at least tried to help her?"

Uchungu gave him a smile. "No. But it's good to see that you really do care about us."

"Why didn't you help her?"

"She has—pride issues," rasped Huzuni. Fujo turned to see her lying on her back. "Always was independent. She considers it insulting to need help."

"I helped her that night we were together," said Fujo. He heard bitter laughter and turned to Ufukara.

"And you did a wonderful job of it too from what she says," said the lioness. "Sounds like most of the time you were helping her sound asleep."

Fujo fell silent for a few moments, no more than that. Even he was beginning to think it was impossible for him to shut up. "What keeps you from just walking out?" he asked.

Uchungu turned to him. "Nothing. Save for the fact that now, thanks to what Taabu did, we aren't allowed any more than one trip to the water hole a day, and anyone found further than fifty feet from the cave is instantly killed. Chuma died that way. She tried to run. She saw how far Taabu made it and she thought she could get away. She always was a fool."

"You sound ungrateful for what Taabu did. She took a step none of you were willing to take."

"And look where we are thanks to it. She only replaced a monster with a demon. We realize it took courage to do what she did. But it also took blatant stupidity and no foresight at all. We were better off with Sibu's father. At least he kept Sibu somewhat in line."

Taabu came limping back inside. "Animals do make poor decisions, but that doesn't mean we hang it over their heads," retorted Fujo.

"We're not hanging anything over anyone's head!" said Uchungu.

"Oh, give it a rest," said Taabu. "I'm not sorry at all, so the both of you can just shut up."

"Hey, I'm trying to help you here!" protested Fujo. "And you may not like me, but I _do_ like you, and I don't want to see you die!"

"Die?" asked Taabu, lying down in the back of the den again with a groan.

"Yes, as in _dead_."

Taabu began to laugh, but there was only sadness in it. It was almost hysterical. She suddenly sobered with a sharp intake of breath, almost instantaneously. "You really think he's going to kill me? He knows what he's doing. You saw what he did. He's going to make sure I live, because that's my punishment. An eye for an eye. I get to be the happy mother of the new prince. If I'm lucky, I'll die in cubbirth, and if I'm not, I'll have to live, seeing the poor thing grow into just as much of a beast as his father. And you can ask Weusi how that feels."

Fujo stared at her, shocked. "I—I'm sorry. I never knew." Taabu didn't say anything back.

"Dinner." Fujo turned around to see the lionesses having come back from the hunt, three carcasses in the mouths of the six that went. One was in Umo's, but Fujo couldn't figure out for his life how she had managed to do it. Kovu trailed in after them. Weusi saw the carcasses and sighed.

"I'll get Sibu," she said, and started for the den entrance. Kovu stopped her.

"No. I'll do it." He turned around and walked back out, heading for Sibu's den. He heard voices coming from inside as he approached.

". . . been around here too long," said Sibu's voice. "He's nothing more than an irritant."

Kovu finally reached the den, and saw several leopards in the den in various states of relaxation, save for one who was sitting straight up in a rigid pose. "What would you like us to do, sire?" asked the sitting one.

"Just a small job. The kind where you make sure he never bothers me again," said Sibu.

"My favorite, sire," spoke up one of the leopards lying down. The sitting one threw him a look, all of the venom taken out of it by the fact that he was smiling.

"It's no problem at all, sire," said the sitting one. "Consider it done." He turned to leave, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Kovu standing in the entrance. "Sire?"

Sibu finally noticed Kovu. "Ah, Kovu, what is it?"

"Just wanted to let you know that dinner is here, sire."

"Thank you." Sibu shifted his attention back to the leopards. "Well, you know what to do." The leopards exited the cave, some of them looking at Kovu, others ignoring him utterly. Sibu stood up and began to follow them. "Not always the brightest bunch there, save for a few of them. But if you want someone gone in a hurry, there they are." He walked past Kovu, heading for the lower den. Kovu followed Sibu, hating him every step of the way. He arrived to see the carcasses laid out in the den, with Fujo and the lionesses waiting. Sibu stepped up to one of the carcasses and began to eat, the lionesses eyeing his meal with hungry eyes. Sibu stopped eating and turned to Kovu. "Well, help yourself." Kovu slowly walked to a carcass, staring at the wonderful, juicy thing before sitting down and beginning to eat. Fujo hadn't moved.

"What about the lionesses?" Fujo asked.

"Oh, they get whatever's left over," said Sibu.

"Are you sure that's enough?"

"They haven't starved to death, have they?" asked Sibu. Fujo reluctantly sat down at the other carcass and began to eat, the lionesses staring at him intently. He took only small bites, determined that there would be plenty left. Umo saw what he was doing and coughed. Fujo looked up at her, seeing her slowly shaking her head from side to side in an obvious gesture of _no_. Fujo began to take somewhat larger bites. The shaking finally stopped. Fujo finally spoke up again.

"Do you think the lionesses would be a little more willing if you treated them nicely?"

Sibu looked up at him. "They are already more than willing. I ask, and they will trip over each other to see that it's done."

"Yeah, but it's not really that willing is it?"

"Fujo," said Kovu.

"It's willing enough for me," said Sibu.

"Yeah, but wouldn't it be easier if they respect you?"

"They do respect me."

"Well, maybe if you were a little nicer—"

"Fujo," interrupted Kovu.

"What?"

"Do you think we really need to question his methods?"

"Well, I'm just trying to understand."

"It's quite alright, Kovu," said Sibu. He turned to look at Fujo. "You want to know why I rule as I do? I do it for one simple reason: it works." He took another bite, swallowed. "Your father obviously has things to teach you."

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. Sibu finished before Kovu and Fujo, leaving nothing but a few scraps clinging to the skeleton. He simply got up and left, heading for his den. As soon as Kovu thought Sibu had gone out of earshot he furiously rounded on Fujo. "The next time I tell you to shut up, you shut up."

"I didn't hear you tell me to shut up."

"Too subtle for you?"

"Yes, actually."

"I just watched him order someone killed for no reason at all. That could be you next, or me. I don't know about you, but I want to see your mother again. So you are going to be careful or we are leaving, even if I have to knock you out and drag you all the way home." He gave a sigh, then pushed away what was left of his carcass towards the lionesses. "Here, eat."

The lionesses stared at the carcass for a few moments, then at Kovu. "Kovu—" started Umo, tears in her eyes.

"Eat." It was an order. The lionesses fell upon the carcass, tearing anything they could of it. Fujo stepped away from his, and it too was devoured ravenously. There couldn't have been any more than a couple of mouthfuls for each lioness. Uchungu stripped off a huge chunk of meat, the biggest there, and receive glares from all the others. The glares softened as Uchungu walked back to Taabu and placed the meat beside her. Taabu began eating, and in all of five seconds the meat was gone. Fujo stared at the spectacle, then looked back at Kovu, only to see him staring outside the den, apparently at the already fading light. A few seconds later Fisadi walked in, dragging a carcass twice her size. Kovu hurriedly helped her get it inside the den before Sibu would see.

"Oh, Mother!" cried one of the lionesses. They all stared at the carcass. Fisadi tore off several chunks of meat, and took them, with Uchungu's help, over to Taabu. After she had dropped them she nodded, and the lionesses began to eat the new carcass. Fisadi began to munch on some of the pieces by Taabu.

"Where've you been?" asked Fujo.

Fisadi swallowed down another piece. "Hunting. I have to find some way to feed my girls."

Fujo watched her and Taabu eat for a few more seconds before lying down. Walking all day had tired him out. After a few minutes he heard pawsteps behind him, then Kovu speaking.

"Fisadi?"

"Mm?"

"Why does Sibu idolize Scar?"

Fisadi was silent for a few moments. "It's like this: Scar drove all the animals out of his kingdom. He didn't mean to. All of the animals simply left because it was a barren wasteland. Nothing grew there, according to my mother. So they left, and plenty of them came here. The only thing Sibu's father could get out of them was that they came from Taka's kingdom. That and how cruel he had been. So, the king added two and two together and got five. He assumed that there was an overabundance in Scar's kingdom, and that his ruthless tyranny was what made it possible. He was already a first-class tyrant, according to my mother, and this only went on to prove his point. So he only got worse, and his son watched him, knowing the entire time he tried to mimic Scar. His father ran it brutally, but efficiently. He didn't have Scar's laziness, which is probably the only thing that saved the kingdom. His son learned this, and turned into the monster you see today."

Fujo stuck a paw in the air. "Question. Have you ever had a decent day here?"

Fisadi gave him a smile. It still amazed her how laid-back Fujo could be at any time. "Once. It was a Thursday." She gave a sigh. "The day gives and the day takes away. Blessed be the day that only gives good things. If any." She got up and started to leave. "I'll be back in the morning." She left, dragging the skeleton of what she had brought in behind her.

Fujo watched her go, then laid his head back down. "She's not too bad for a hyena." He saw Taabu glaring at him angrily. "What?"

"You are a stupid, insensitive jerk, you know that?"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Have you ever thought that maybe they're right?" she asked angrily, then turned over so that her back was to Fujo. Fujo looked up at his father.

"Really?"

Kovu nodded. "Really." He walked to another corner and lied down. Fujo watched him, then rolled over, muttering about how no one understood him.

oOo

Taabu woke the next morning to an annoying shuffling sound. She tried to close her ears to it, but it just wouldn't stop. She finally rolled over to see Fujo lying on his back, apparently writhing in pain. "Are you okay?"

Fujo groaned. "No. I've got a scratch and I can't itch it."

"You mean an itch and you can't scratch it."

"I don't care what I mean; it's driving me _crazy!_" He suddenly stopped and looked at her. "Hey, I don't suppose . . ."

Taabu gave a groan. "Fine. Come over here." Fujo walked over and lied down. Taabu sat up, the pain much better than the day before. It helped when you weren't beaten senseless days in a row like she had been. Sibu had actually been quite nice to her yesterday. He'd only raped her that one time. She stared at Fujo's back as a sadistic thought crept into her mind. She placed her paw on Fujo's back gently, then extended her claws and raked them down his back. Fujo gave a yell of pain. Taabu smiled. "How was that?"

"A little to the left," Fujo replied, obviously in pain. She repeated the process, as he requested, to the left. Fujo roared this time. "Gods, I was being sarcastic!"

"Oops. My mistake." She got up and went outside for personal reasons. Fujo watched her go, and laid his head down. The itch actually was gone.

"Nutcase." Fujo gave a sigh. "Complete and absolute nutcase." Thoughts of Taabu flashed through his mind. _Why do I even like her, even a bit? She attacks me, accuses me, hurts me, and I still keep coming back to her_. He groaned as he rolled over. _It's probably all from what Tumai said_. _Nothing more_. _I'll come to my senses any second now_. _Yup, any second_ . . . _Darn it, where are you, senses?_ He rolled back over to see Taabu reentering the den. Somehow Fujo felt calmer. Taabu stopped and looked over her shoulder to Fisadi, who was bringing in another carcass.

". . . Oh, and Recna's dead," said Fisadi. "The Askari got him."

"Are you really sure this is a good idea?" asked Taabu.

Fisadi dropped the carcass. "Look, I'm just feeding you a little early today. What could happen?"

"If he finds you—"

"He won't find me. He never does. He doesn't even pay any attention to me if he sees me when he actually gets off his butt to go around the kingdom. I'm just another lowlife hyena, who is living prosperously all because of him."

"Did we wake up lying on our bad side today?" asked Fujo.

"Fujo, shut up." It was Kovu.

"Hey, that's not very nice."

"It doesn't seem to get to you any other way." Kovu lifted himself from the ground. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a walk. Hopefully breakfast won't be over by the time I get back. If it is, eat mine." He left without another word. Taabu and Fisadi turned to stare at Fujo.

"What?" he asked.

"Well, what's he doing?" asked Fisadi.

"I don't know. For all I know he could be trying to incite a rebellion. He'll think of something. After all, he _is_ a king."

"King, huh? And I just thought you two were a pair of worthless rogues . . . Well I'll be damned."

"Probably."

Fisadi stared at Fujo for a second, then let out a chuckle. "Alright, fine. Have the last word." She turned to the lionesses. "Come and get it." They fell on the carcass, each of them getting as much as they could, but still not trying to take too much. It was obvious that they cared enough for each other that they wouldn't let someone starve if there was something they could do about it. There was almost an orderly chaos in the way they ate. Fisadi stepped back after a couple of bites and looked around. "Where're Ufukara and Huzuni?

"They're out hunting," said Fujo. "Took a few others with them. Said something about Sibu wanting an early breakfast."

Fisadi looked at him in horror. "He's—he's eating early?"

"Yeah, but what's the look fo—oh. Oh, crap."

Fisadi turned to the lionesses. "Hide it, quick!" The lionesses stopped eating and look up at her. "Hide the carcass!" hissed Fisadi. "_Now!_"

"Where?" asked one of the lionesses.

"Anywhere! There, the back of the den. Hurry!" Three lionesses hurriedly began to drag the carcass into the indicated corner, then sat around it, blocking it from view.

"Now would you mind explaining this to us, Mother?" asked Weusi.

"He can't see you with that! He'd kill you!"

Umo stuck her head outside, then pulled it back in. "He's coming!" she hissed. All heads unanimously turned to Fisadi.

"Hide me!" Several lionesses sat down in front of her, effectively shielding her from at least the front of the cave. Barely after they had done so Sibu walked in. He looked around at all the lionesses staring at him, instantly aware that they were hiding something. He dismissed it; he would deal with it later. His eyes fell on Fujo.

"Where is your father?" asked Sibu.

"He's out," Fujo replied. "Said something about sightseeing."

"Very well." He turned to the lionesses. "And where is the morning meal?"

"They—they're getting it, sire," said an unfortunate lioness in the back of the den that was shielding the carcass, in this case Weusi. Sibu began to slowly walk toward her.

"And why is it not here yet?" he asked dangerously.

"My son, they are try—"

Sibu whipped his paw across Weusi's face, knocking her to the ground. "You may be my mother, but you _will_ refer to me as_ sire_. You are no better than any of the other filth." His eye landed on the carcass that was now visible in the gap left by Weusi. He turned around. "Who brought this?" he asked in a low voice. No one answered. "I said who brought this!" Several eyes involuntarily flickered to Fisadi, who was hiding behind several lionesses who had moved so she wouldn't be seen from the back of the den now. Sibu saw the flickers and started toward the group of lionesses. They quickly scattered, leaving Fisadi in the open. Sibu stopped dead. "You harbored a hyena?" he asked, his voice low again. He advanced on Fisadi. "Of all the filthy, dirty animals, a—"

"No! Not Mother!" said one of the lionesses. Sibu turned to look at the now-cowering lioness, then back at Fisadi. He let out a low laugh, slowly rising into one of normal volume.

"'Mother?'" he said. "'Mother?' Well then, you will have the pleasure of watching—Mother—die." He advanced on Fisadi, who slowly began to back away, fear filling her face. Fujo leapt up and placed himself between Sibu and Fisadi.

"No!" he declared. Sibu whacked him across the face, knocking Fujo to the ground, then leapt on top of Fujo.

"You have troubled me for the last time!" declared Sibu and raised back a paw. Fujo turned, wincing, and brought his foreleg up to shield himself. He felt his leg stop before it got all the way up, and heard a sudden gasp. He opened his eyes to see blood steadily trickling down his leg, starting with a paw that was lodged between Sibu's ribcage.

"Oh, gods," said Fujo softly. He let the paw drop, and looked up at Sibu's face. It was contorted in pain and shock.

"Not like this," breathed Sibu. He looked down at Fujo's face as his body began to shake violently with the effort of standing. Fujo saw that his eyes were filled with desperation and surprise. "But why—?" He collapsed, falling on top of Fujo. There was silence in the den. Fujo couldn't move, partly from the weight and partly from shock.

_I killed him_.

"I can't believe it." Fujo couldn't distinguish individual voices anymore. It was just a random voice.

"Is he—dead?" asked another voice.

_I—I just killed someone_.

There was more silence, then suddenly, in a glorious yell, "FREEDOM!" The lionesses began to cry, and a pair of them moved Sibu's body off Fujo, and all of them began to scream and yell, but Fujo lied there, untouched by any of it.

_I _killed _him_. _I took his life. I didn't even give him a chance_.

_No, it was an accident_.

_But that doesn't mean it had to happen_. _And why did it have to be _me?

Fujo was suddenly aware of a head above his. "Are you okay?" asked Taabu. Fujo slowly rolled over to his stomach, then slowly stood up.

"No. I'm about as far from it as you can get."

"But you did it!"

"What's going on?" Taabu and Fujo turned to see Kovu standing in the entryway. He suddenly noticed the blood smeared across Fujo's leg, chest and stomach, then Sibu's body. "I—what—he—" Kovu stopped trying to speak, instead resorting to shaking his head. "I think you've gotten smart and then you run off and do some fool thing like this."

Suddenly Fujo was angry beyond belief. He stormed out of the den, knocking his father out of the way as he went by. Kovu looked at Taabu. "What happened?" she asked. "Was it something we said?"

"He just needs some time to get over it," said Kovu. He gave a sigh, watching his son run away, then turned back to Taabu. "So, what happened?"


	4. The Return

The Return

Fujo ran. He had no idea where he was going, but it just seemed like the best thing to do. He stopped at a water hole, only for the reason that he _had_ to drink something, or else he'd die. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had a decent drink. Last night's meal still stuck in his throat. He stopped at the edge of the pond, and looked at himself, seeing the blood seemingly having gone up his leg, then having trickled onto his chest and stomach. He sighed. _I didn't want to_. He took a few licks from the pond, but was unable to take his eyes off his blood-soaked paw. He snapped, throwing himself in the water. He began to thrash around, rubbing himself on the bottom, on the bank of the pool, on the reeds, anything to get the blood off.

"Fujo?" Fujo turned to see Huzuni and Ufukara standing at the edge of the water hole, looking at him with concern he saw the other lionesses running off with the carcasses, obviously in a hurry to get the meat to Sibu. Huzuni gasped when she saw some blood on Fujo's side he hadn't managed to get off yet.

"You're hurt," she rasped. "What happened?" Fujo stared at the pair for a few seconds, then plunged his head underneath the water, followed by his body. He tried to inhale, only swallowing down water. He tried to take another breath. He suddenly found his body being yanked up by the lionesses and being pulled from the water. They dropped him, spluttering, on the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?!" said Ufukara. "What are you, insane?"

Fujo coughed out more water. "Suicidal," he replied weakly. He got up and tried for the pond again, but found himself stopped by Huzuni pouncing him to the ground.

"Now look," said Huzuni, "I know Taabu may not love you back, but that's no reason to—"

"It isn't Taabu. It's Sibu."

The lionesses exchanged looks. Unhappy looks. "Well, what of him?" asked Ufukara.

"He's dead."

The lionesses stared at him. "Dead?" Huzuni finally rasped, her voice even worse than usual. "Genuinely, truly, honestly dead?"

"Yes."

Huzuni slowly got off Fujo. "How?" she asked, her voice sounding like a dead lioness with a horrible, horrible case of bronchitis.

"I killed him."

The lionesses stood there, stunned for a moment. "Oh, thank you Aiheu!" Ufukara suddenly yelled.

"Quiet!" reprimanded Huzuni. "Don't you see how he hurts?"

Fujo started back towards the water again. _I don't deserve to live_. He threw his head back to plunge it in again, but suddenly found himself tackled into the water. He felt himself being dragged out by his neck. He flopped over onto his back as he was dragged and finally had his head dropped, only to see Huzuni's face above his, upside-down.

"This is not the way," said Huzuni. He tried to get up but she firmly placed her paw on his chest.

"I killed him!" Fujo yelled. "I didn't want to kill him! I didn't want to hurt anyone!"

"You had to. I don't know what happened, but I'm guessing you would be dead now if you hadn't done what you did. Well?"

"Does that matter?!"

"It was pure self-defense."

"That doesn't help!"

"Then maybe this will. Think about what he's done to us. Think about what he did to poor Taabu. Think about how he beat us anytime anything wasn't done to the exact specifications. His own mother had her ear torn off by him as punishment. He tore open my chest, and now I can't ever speak with a normal voice again. He left Ufukara to die out in the savannah in the midst of several elephants, letting her be trampled to death as Kecha had been, and the only way she got back was through Fisadi. And how he cut through Muta's tendons when he was just an adolescent, insuring she'd never walk again, and leaving her there for three days before slowly strangling her to death, just because he decided she needed to die.

"He did all of those things, and he _never_ thought about us. We were _nothing_ to him. We were the lowest of the low. Even the zebra, the wildebeest, the antelope, _they_ were above us to him. He hated us all, for no reason at all. He used a small piece of rock for a soul, and yes, I am glad he is dead. And you should be, too."

Fujo stared up at her, shocked. Yes, there had been plenty of reasons why Sibu had to die. But Fujo still had one question. "But why did it have to be me?"

"It didn't. It could have been any of us. It could have even been Fisadi, if she'd ever have shown her face when he was around. It just happened to be you." She took a few steps back, letting him finally get up. Fujo looked back toward the pond, then at Huzuni as she spoke again. "Go ahead. There's the water. Throw yourself in, I'm not going to stop you, and I'll make sure 'Kara doesn't either. I've had my say, I'm done. But just remember that if you do, you'll never, ever go back from it."

"Huzuni," said Ufukara, shocked.

"Quiet."

Fujo looked at Huzuni, then back to the water. He walked up to the edge of the water. He looked down, seeing his face in it. He sighed.

_It was an accident_, a little voice said.

_I don't deserve to live_, said another.

He looked back down at the water, remembering how Taraju seemed to be like his face, but the exact opposite colors, thinking how he had used the same phrase with Taraju. _You don't deserve to live_. And yet, in the end, it had been _Think this through!_ Taraju hadn't listened. And look where he was now, up with his family, but forced to look down and do nothing but observe. And how much everyone missed him. Especially Tumai.

_It's what it'll be like for me_. _To have everyone horrified that I'm gone_ . . . _To never see Tumai again, or Mom, or Dad, or _. . . _Taabu_.

Did he really want that? He thought back to Sibu, standing above him, with his words coming in short spurts. Then his mind leapt to Sibu on top of Taabu, with Taabu screaming out in pain, to Sibu beating down his own mother for simply acknowledging heritage, to Sibu sending out the nearly-due Umo to hunt. There was no doubt about it: Sibu deserved to die. And someone had to do it. He remembered the time he had spent three days hunting futilely with the lionesses on Tumai's bet, and her words when he found he had lost. _"You don't have to like it_. _You just have to live with it_._"_ _Just live with it_.

Fujo tore his gaze from the water, and turned around to see Huzuni and Ufukara looking at him, Ufukara tense, Huzuni oddly relaxed. "Well?" asked Huzuni.

"Okay. Let's go back."

Huzuni simply turned and headed for the den. Ufukara, after a moment of hesitation, followed her. Fujo took one last look at the pond and walked away.

oOo

When they three arrived back at the den, the celebrating seemed to only have intensified. What they were now doing was happily discussing what to do with the body.

"Now look," Weusi was saying, "I'm still saying the best thing to do would be to dump him off the cliff. He deserves to be with his father." She was lying down, disgustingly stuffed. They all were. Eating had been the first thing anyone could think to do.

"What's wrong with just leaving him to rot?" asked Umo.

"Yeah, just take him out to the savannah and watch the buzzards pick out his guts," supplied Uchungu.

"You know, I hear lion is good eating," said Fujo. Everyone turned to look at him, various states of disgust on their face.

"I'm sorry, are you being funny?" asked Taabu after a moment of silence.

"Apparently not." There was another moment of silence, then everyone went back to amiably discussing what to do.

"Toss him!"

"Drown him!"

"Buzzard him!"

Huzuni just went to a corner and lied down. Fujo could have sworn that she was asleep in seconds. Kovu came over to Fujo. "Better now?"

"Yeah." Kovu noticed the water still left on Fujo, thought about asking, then thought better of it. He didn't have to know everything. He couldn't help but notice Fujo's stomach rumbling. He laughed.

"There's some food in the back. They kind of overdid it." Fujo gratefully went to the back of the den and began to indulge in one of his favorite pastimes while listening to the happy conversation. It was amazing how different some of the lionesses seemed. Some of the more shy ones really began to become more outspoken.

The debate went on spiritedly almost the entire day. In the end they decided to throw Sibu off the cliff, reasoning that the buzzards could get him there, too, and it was still close enough to watch. They all dragged him out to the cliff, and everyone except Taabu watched as Sibu was chucked off the edge, several of them giving phrases such as "Ooh, that must have hurt," as he hit. Taabu stayed well away from the ridge. When they made remarks about Sibu's trip she got up and went back to the den on her own. Fujo didn't notice until she was already a good distance away. He leapt up and ran after her. He finally caught up to her.

"Taabu, what's wrong?"

She looked up at Fujo, her eyes rimmed with red from crying. "You wouldn't understand."

Fujo walked with her into the den. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." She moodily slumped down to the floor of the den, tears silently dripping down her face. Fujo stared for a few seconds, then turned to walk away. "Wait," Taabu suddenly said. "I do want to talk to you about it." She sat up and stared at the ground. "It's because my mother is down there."

Fujo tried to digest this. "Well, I can understand if you don't want to see your mother there with him, but—"

"It's not that. It's that I miss her. I've cried myself to sleep every night, thinking about her. I just can't get her out of my head, with her screaming and falling. I miss her horribly. She wasn't like any of the other lionesses. She was always there for me. I was the only cub she ever had, and she always took care of me. She even beat off Sibu a couple of times, only to be punished by his father. She'd do anything for me, for any of us. But especially me. She was there when I cried, she gave me her food when I didn't get enough to eat. I was everything to her. I loved her just as much back. And now, I just can't help but remember that she's—she's g-gone. And she'll never come back." By this time she was weeping again, weeping as Fujo had only seen her do the first time he met her. He put up a foreleg and she gratefully put her head against his chest again. Fujo just rubbed her back.

After a few minutes she had finally calmed down. She sniffled, and looked up at him. "Thank you. I needed that."

"Anytime." She pulled away from him, took a few steps away.

"I know it's silly, isn't it? I mean, she's dead and gone and here's me, bawling like a cub."

"There's nothing wrong with crying," said Fujo defensively. "I mean, back where I come from they have a whole list of reasons to cry."

"Really?" said Taabu dubiously.

"Sure. And I'm pretty sure 'Mom Passing Away' is in the top ten. I think it's what, 'Siblings Passing Away', then 'Parents', then any relative, then the local kook, and I think number one is 'Missed a Meal.'" Taabu gave a half-hearted laugh.

"Thank you, Fujo." Her ears perked up as she heard the sound of the lionesses and Fisadi and Kovu returning, their voices lighting up the darkening sky. She gave Fujo a smile. "But just remember, this still doesn't mean I like you."

"What?!"

Taabu gave a real, genuine, laugh. "Yep."

oOo

The rest of the night went on uneventfully, save for the one little point Kovu brought up.

"Now that you don't have a king," he asked, "who's going to rule here?"

There was silence, then a flurry of conversation broke out, but never actually reached a conclusion. They finally stopped with Fisadi's protests that it could wait until tomorrow. Sleeping seemed like a good idea for everyone.

It wasn't that easy the next morning though.

When Kovu woke up Fujo was sitting moodily at the edge of the den. Rain was coming down, but it wasn't really rain. It was almost mist, but it couldn't be classified as that, either. It was just little, almost invisible drops of water, forming a curtain outside the den, just big enough to slowly wet you, but almost small enough to not be seen. Kovu walked up to Fujo and sat beside him.

"What's up?"

"I hate this," said Fujo.

"Huh?"

"This," Fujo repeated, waving his paw at the outside. "It should either rain or not rain. It should not do this." Kovu laughed. "What? Hey, you know you hate it, too."

"Well, it looks like we're spending another day here, because we sure know that little Fujo doesn't like to get his paws wet."

"Stop it!"

Most of the other lionesses were up. A few of them had taken meat from the huge stockpile they had in the back of the den. The sheer size of the thing still surprised Fujo. It looked as if they had an entire herd stacked in the back. He wondered how long he actually had been at that water hole.

Suddenly there was a groan from Umo. Several of the lionesses looked at her as she moaned again, her face contorted in pain. Then every lioness was on her feet, standing over Umo. Fujo tried to get closer, only hearing Umo saying something like, "It's coming." He ran into Taabu.

"Hey what's going—" He stopped as she snarled at him.

"Get out of here _now!_" Fujo took a hasty step backwards.

"Hey, I didn't mean to—"

"Out! Now!"

"But I—"

Suddenly Kovu was in front of Fujo. He began to step towards Fujo, forcing him backwards. "You heard her, out!" said Kovu.

"Dad!" Fujo protested, trying to look over his father to see what was happening.

"Out!"

"But what about—"

"Out, now!"

"But—"

"No buts, out!"

"It's raining!"

"And I'm not caring, so out, _now_." He drove Fujo out into the "rain," and sat down. "We can go in when she's done."

"There's no fun in that!"

"Too bad."

An eternity and quite a few muttered curses later, some of which Kovu actually had to remind his son, "Language!", they were allowed back in the den. As soon as Taabu saw Fujo she burst out laughing. She had good reason to; his mane was completely soaked, and the face he wore was more than ample to clearly say, "I'm unhappy." The laughs turned to shrieks as Fujo walked over to her and shook himself dry, splattering her with water. After he had done that and felt at least a little more satisfied, he walked over to see Umo. In her legs was a little ball of fur. Fujo stared down at it and "Aww"ed.

"What's her name?" asked Kovu.

Umo looked up at him. "It's a boy. The new king."

"Alright, _his_ name."

Umo beamed down at her new cub. "Taraja."

Kovu looked down at the cub with a smile. "Good name."

"Huh? What's it mean?" asked Fujo.

Kovu looked up at him, smiling. "Hope."

oOo

The next day Fujo and Kovu left. They had almost walked out when Uchungu, Huzuni, and Taabu came up to them. "Kovu?" asked Huzuni. He stopped and turned to look at them.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Well, you know how we don't really have a—decent idea of how to rule here. So we were wondering if, well . . ." Her voice trailed off.

"You were wondering if someone could come with to learn."

"Yes," said Huzuni, relieved that she didn't have to say it.

"Of course. Who do you have in mind?"

"Well, you see, the pride discussed it last night," said Taabu. "Finally, we all volunteered."

"All of you?"

"No. We volunteered Uchungu. I—I assume that's alright with you."

"By all means. What do you say, Fujo?"

Fujo was staring at the ground. "If it's all the same to you, I'd really rather have Taabu go, Dad."

"Taabu, huh?" Kovu looked over at her. The lioness seemed genuinely surprised. "Well?"

"Well, I can go if you want me to," she said. Huzuni and Uchungu looked at her. "What?" More staring. "Hey, it's his idea, not mine!"

Uchungu laughed. "Don't sound so reluctant, or they might actually think you don't want to go."

"But I don't. Do _you_ want to go? I mean _really_ want to."

Uchungu thought about it. "No. But someone has to, or else the place is going to fall to pieces."

"Then I'll go," declared Taabu. Fujo finally looked up from the ground, looked at Taabu.

"Alright then," said Kovu. He turned around and continued on his way home.

"Well, bye," said Taabu.

"What are you saying 'bye' for?" rasped Huzuni. "You're coming back."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Now go on, or else Kovu will be so far gone you'll have to rely on Fujo to get you home. And from what I hear, he has no sense of direction at all."

Fujo gave a smile. "This is true."

Uchungu smiled at them. "Go on, scat." Taabu gave them one last look and complied, running to catch up with Kovu. She walked in step with Fujo, just behind Kovu.

"So, what's your kingdom like?" Taabu asked Kovu. Kovu groaned. "What?"

"You had to ask, didn't you? Now Fujo isn't going to shut up the whole way back."

"Maybe I'll surprise you," said Fujo. Kovu stopped and looked at Fujo. Suddenly they both burst in to wild laughter. Taabu stared at the both of them, surprised. The laughter slowly subsided into mere giggles, and they began walking again.

"Oh, yeah," said Kovu. He gave another chuckle. "That'll be the day."

Fujo gave another little laugh, then a sigh. "Alright, so you want to know what it's like. Well, it actually looks a lot like this one, except here is actually a little greener, but we've got better herds, at least from what I've eaten here, and also . . ."

oOo

". . . and never, _ever_ hunt after it rains, the herds always get mean right after a storm. In fact, it'd probably be better not to hunt at all, they're trying something new and it isn't really working, so ten to one you'll end up like my mom. And one big thing you'll really like is that there are absolutely no rules for lionesses, except that they have to hunt on a regular basis."

"Are you sure you're actually ruling anything?" asked Taabu. Kovu was walking in front with his head low, almost insane from the constant chatter the entire way back, mostly being one-sided on Fujo's part. Taabu, however, had soaked it right up. Finally, however, Pride Rock and sanity and _quiet_, above all else, loomed ahead.

"Oh, yeah. But we don't have to worry about lording it over the animals. They just come to us with the problems, and we fix it."

"You mean _I_ fix it," said Kovu.

"Okay, _he_ fixes it. Sorry."

"Yeah, Fujo, don't strut around, pretending you're some kind of savior or something," said Taabu.

"And what did I do for you?"

"Nothing that we wouldn't have done eventually."

"Fujo!!" Fujo turned to see, for an instant, a brown blur racing towards him at full speed before _wham_ it bowled him over. Fujo lifted his head up from the ground to see Pofu hugging his chest. "Where have you been?!" Pofu demanded.

Taabu stared down at the pair in complete surprise. Fujo laughed at her shock. "What can I say?" he asked. "Hero worship."


End file.
